7" 


1734  1794  1894 


J=ROCEEDI  NGS 


AT    THE 


OF   THE 


OF   THE 


Falling  jjpring  Presbyleriari  Cluing 

AND   THE 

ONE  HUNDREDTH  ANNIVERSARY 

OF  ITS  EXISTENCE  AS  A  SEPARATE  CHARGE,- 
November  10th,  llth,  12th  and  14th,  1894. 


HARRIS  R.  SCHENOK,  Editor. 
II 


CHAMBERSBDRG,    PA.: 

THE  REPOSITORY  PRESS. 

1894.' 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Cut  of  the  Church  of  To-day, -       Frontispiece. 

Preface,                                                                                                      -  -        5 

Preliminary  Work,          -  -7 

Order  of  Services. -  --9 

Dr.  Niccolls'  Address:  Church  and  Home  One  Hundred  Years  Ago,  -    13 

J.  W.  Sharpe's  Address  of  Welcome,        -  34 

Dr.  Crawford's  Historical  Sermon,      -  -    36 

Dr.  Hibben's  Paper,      -  53 

Dr.  Crawford's  Personal  Reminiscences,    -  -57 
Dr.  Niccolls'  Personal  Reminiscences,    --               -----61 

Mr.  Schenck's  Paper:  Personal  History  of  the  Pastors, 

I.  Rev.  Samuel  Caven,  1739-1741,  63 

II.  Rev.  James  Lang,  1767-1793,         -       -  -    67 

III.  Rev.  William  Speer,  1794-1797,       -  -       70 

IV.  Rev.  David  Denny,  1800-1838, -76 

V.  Rev.  William  Adam,  1840-1841,       .-       -  82 

VI.  Rev.  Daniel  McKinley,  D.  D..  1841-1850,  -    89 

VII.  Rev.  Joseph  Clark,  1852-1857,         ....  96 

VIII.  Rev.  Lambert  Suydam  Fine,  1858-1859,  102 

IX.  Rev.  Samuel  Jack  Niccolls,  D.  D.,  1860-1864, 04 

X.  Rev.  Joshua  Black  wood  HowellJane  way,  Ph.  D.,  1866,  105 

XI.  Rev.  John  Agnew  Crawford,  D.  D.,  1867-1887.     -       -       -  107 
XII.'  Rev.  John  Grier  Hibben,  Ph.  D.,  1887-1891,  111 
XIII.    Rev.  Harris  Rogers  Schenck,  1892-  117 

Mr.  Bell's  Paper:  Greeting  from  the  Greencastle  Church,  -  -  118 
Mr.  Mackey's  Paper:  Greeting  from  the  Central  Church,  -  -  119 
Dr.  Platt's  Paper:  History  of  the  Session,  -  121 
The  Charter,— (For  the  Deed,  see  page  39,)  -  -  129 
Mr.  McDowell's  Paper:  The  History  of  the  Trustees,  -  136 
Mr.  Mcllvaine's  Paper:  Sketch  of  the  Sabbath  Schools,  148 
Mrs.  Reed's  Paper:  History  of  the  Missionary  Societies,  152 
Mr.  Reed's  Paper:  History  of  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society,  -  -  158 
The  Officers  of  the  Church,  of  the  Congregation,  and  of  the  Societies,  161 
Form  of  Reception  of  Members,  -  163 
Extracts  from  the  Presbyterian  Standards,  as  to  the  Church  and  its  Mem- 
bers, -  -  -  168 
Roll  of  Communicants,  172 
Membership  each  year  since  April  1,  1822,  182 
The  Baptized  Members  and  their  relations  to  the  Church,  183 
Roll  of  Baptized  Members,  -  -  189 
Closing  Words,  by  the  Editor,  --*------"-  m 


As  a  true  man  loves  his  home,  and  a  true  patriot  his  country, 
so  a  true  Christian  loves  his  Church.  Home  and  country 
and  Church  are  the  Christian's  dearest  earthly  inheritances. 
Neither  pride  of  ancestry,  nor  idolatry  of  stone  and  mortar, 
can  be  mistaken  for  genuine  fruit-bearing  love  of  Zion's 
"towers  and  bulwarks  and  palaces."  (Ps.  48:12-13.)  "A 
people  who  take  no  pride,"  says  Macaulay,  "in  remembering 
and  recording  the  deeds  of  their  forefathers,  will  not  be  likely 
to  do  anything  worthy  to  be  remembered  or.  preserved  by 
posterity."  And  a  godly  ancestry  is  more  to  be  desired  than 
a  great  or  wealthy.  Thomas  Outline  once  wrote,  "Through 
my  ancestry,  as  tar  as  I  can  trace  them,  I  can  claim  to  be  the 
seed  of  the  righteous,  a  higher  honor  than  the  blue  blood  ot 
which  some  boast."  And  Win.  Cowper  well  sang : 

"My  boast  is  not  that  I  deduce  my  birth 
From  loins  enthroned,  and  rulers  of  the  earth  ; 
But  higher  far  my  proud  pretensions  rise, 
The  son  of  parents  passed  into  the  skies." 

The  chief  value  of  a  study  of  the  past  is  that  we  are  there- 
by incited  to  the  work  of  improving  upon  that  past.  It 
behooves  the  children  of  godly  men  to  pas§  on  to  their 
children's  children  a  record  in  which  the  latter  shall  rejoice 


as  fully  we  rejoice  in  what  is  "the  past"  to  us.     No  better 
prayer  can  be  offered  than  this  : 

'"God  of  our  fathers  !  be  the  God 
Of  their  succeeding  race." 

The  authors  of  the  addresses  contained  in  this  volume 
will  feel  that  their  efforts  have  not  been  in  vain,  if  the 
youth  of  today  shall  be  stirred  to  still  better,  nobler  lives 
and  deeds. 

So  far  as  possible,  the  proof-sheets  have  been  read  by  the 
respective  authors. 

The  editing  of  the  volume  has]been  a  labor  of  love  by  one 
who  counts  it  an  honor  to  be  a  loyal  son  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  a  joy  as  well  to  be  the  minister  of  "The  Falling 
Spring  Presbyterian  Congregation." 

H.  R.  S. 


PRELIMINARY  WORK. 

At  the  monthly  meeting  of  the  Session  of  the  Falling 
Spring  Presbyterian  Church,  held  at  the  Manse,  June  4, 
1894,  attention  was  called  to  the  fact  that  just  one  hundred 
years  ago  this  church  was  separated  from  the  Lower  East 
Conococheague  Church  at  Greencastle,  and  from  that  date 
has  had  an  independent  history.  In  view  of  this  fact,  the 
Session  unanimously  appointed  the  Pastor  and  Elder  Platt 
a  Committee  to  consider  the  advisability  of  celebrating  this 
centennial.  This  Committee  reported  to  the  Session  at  its 
meeting,  July  2,  1894,  recommending  that  such  a  celebra- 
tion be  held,  with  some  suggestions  as  to  the  programme. 
The  Session  thereupon  unanimously  adopted  the  recom- 
mendations, and  approved  of  the  provisional  programme. 
On  August  6,  1894,  the  Session  enlarged  the  Committee  by 
the  addition  of  Elder  W.  G.  Reed,  and  gave  the  said  Com- 
mittee full  power  to  make  all  further  arrangements.  (Later 
on,  the  Pastor  and  Elder  H.  A.  Riddle  were  made  a  Com- 
mittee on  Publication.) 

At  the  request  of  the  Committee,  a  joint  meeting  of  the 
Session  and  Board  of  Trustees  was  held  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
T.  B.  Kennedy.  There  were  present :  Harris  R.  Schenck, 
Pastor ;  Geo.  F.  Platt,  Win.  B.  Reed,  H.  A.  Riddle,  Elders ; 
T.  B.  Kennedy,  J.  M.  McDowell,  John  Stewart  and  Win.  B. 
Reed,  Trustees,  (the  last  named  being  also  an  Elder.)  At 
this  meeting  the  following  Committees  were  appointed  : 
ON  SOCIAL  REUNION  :  Mrs.  Rose  Senseny,  Mrs.  A.  N. 

Pomeroy,  Mrs.  A.    Buchanan;   Mrs.  T.   M.    Nelson,  Mrs. 

Win.  Kennedy. 


8 

ON  Music:  H.  A.  Riddle. 

ON  SUBSCRIPTIONS  :  J.  M.  McDowell,  W.  B.  Reed. 

These  Committees  worked  throughout  in  close  harmony 
with  the  Session's  Committee,  and  to  their  indefatigable 
efforts  and  their  united  interest,  the  complete  success  of  the 
celebration  is  due.  To  the  members  of  the  choir  the  heart- 
iest praise  is  also  due.  The  following  were  its  members  : 
Musical  Director,  H.  A.  Riddle  ;  Organist,  Miss  Anna  W. 
Stewart ;  Sopranos,  Miss  Mary  Snider  and  Miss  Sallie  Nel- 
son and  Miss  Mary  Stewart ;  Altos,  Mrs.  John  S.  Kennedy 
and  Miss  Elsie  K.  Stewart ;  Tenors,  H.  A.  Riddle  and  D. 
O.  Gehr ;  Basse*,  E.  B.  Wiestling  aud  Walter  Holler. 

The  Music  Committee  of  the  Young  People's  Society. of 
Christian  Endeavor,  under  the  chairmanship  of  Miss  Madge 
Nelson,  also  added  to  the  pleasures  of  the  occasion  by  a 
carefully  prepared  programme  of  sacred  music  on  Sabbath 
evening. 

The  decorations  both  in  the  Church  and  Chapel  were 
very  elaborate  and  beautiful,  thanks  to  the  skill  and  taste  of 
the  Ladies  Committee  and  the  Flower  Committee  of  the  Y. 
P.  S.  C.  E.  and  its  chairman,  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  McKnight. 

Some  interesting  relics  were  exhibited,  including  manu- 
script sermons  of  former  Pastors,  portraits  of  former  Elders, 
hymn-books  in  use  in  the  first  years  of  the  organization  of 
the  choir,  about  1830,  and  in  later  years,  and  many  other 
relics  loaned  lor  the  occasion. 

Portraits  of  all  the  former  pastors  except  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Caven,  the  Rev.  James  Lang,  and  the  Rev.  William  Adam 
were  hung  upon  the  walls  of  the  Chapel  as  a  permanent 
collection.  -Pictures  of  tjie  Church  as  it  was  in  1803,  1850, 
1857  and  1894,  were  also  a  part  of  this  collection. 

Thus  the  history  of  the  past  will  be  frequently  brought  to 
mind.  May  that  history  incite  us  to  larger  thought  and 
life  in  the  coming  years. 


ORDER  OF  SERVICES. 


SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  IO,    1894,   "]:OO  P.   M. 

Anthem — "Praise    Ye    the  Father,"  Gounod. 

Doxology. 

Invocation,      -  REV.  HARRIS  R.  SCHENCK,  1892- 

Scripture. 

Prayer,  REV.  J.  A.  CRAWFORD,  D.  D.,  1867-86. 

Hymn — No.  575,  I  love  thy  Kingdom,  Lord. 
Address — "Church  and  Home  One  Hundred  Years  Ago," 
REV.  S.  J.  NICCOLLS,  D.  D.,  1860-64. 

Prayer,  REV.  HARRIS  R.  SCHENCK. 

Hymn — No.  569,  Oh  where  are  Kings  and  Empires  now  ? 
Benediction.  REV.  S.  J.  NiCGOLLS,  D.  D. 

Social  Reunion  in  the  Chapel,  from  8:00  to  10:00  p.  M. 
Words  of  Welcome,  J.  W.  SHARPE,  ESQ. 

Letters  from  Absent  Friends. 
Music. 

COMMITTEE  OF  RECEPTION. 

The  Pastor  and  Mrs.  H.  R.  Schenck, 

Mrs.  Jane  K.  Senseny,  Mrs.  T.  B.  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Jos.  Clark, 
Mrs.  M.  C.  Washington,  Mrs.  Ellen  Culbertson,  Mrs. 
Wm.  McLellan,  Mrs.  J.  F.  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Abigail  Cham- 
bers, Mrs.  Benj.  George,  Mrs.  Margaret  King,  Mrs.  W.  G. 
Reed,  Miss  Mary  King,  and  Mrs.  O.  N.  Lull  and  Mrs.  J. 
W.  Craig  of  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church. 

SABBATH,  NOVEMBER  II,   1894,    1 1   A.    M. 

Anthem — "Gloria,"  Mozart. 

Prayer,  REV.  T.  J.  SHERRARD,  'Pastor  Central  Pres.  Church. 


10  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

Scripture,  REV  H.  R.  SCHENCK. 

Hymn — No.  373,  Let  Children  hear  the  Mighty  Deeds. 
Offering.     "O  Saviour  of  the  World,"  Goss. 

Historical  Sermon,      -       -      REV.  J.  A.  CRAWFORD,  D.  D. 
Prayer,  REV.  S.  J.  NICCOLLS,  D.  D. 

Hymn — No.  435,  Our  God,  Our  Help  in  Ages  Past. 
Benediction,       -  -      REV.  J.  A.  CRAWFORD,  D.  D. 

3.30  P.  M. 

Hymn — No.  i,  Ye  Servants  of  God,  your  Master  proclaim. 

Scripture. 

Prayer,  REV.  J.   A.  CRAWFORD,  D.   I). 

Hymn — No.  312,  My  Jesus,  as  Thou  wilt. 

Sermon,  2  Cor.  1:3-4,     -         -     REV.  S.  J.  NICCOLLS,  D.  D. 

Prayer,        -  -       REV.  J.  F.  KENNEDY,  D.  D. 

Hymn — No.  474,  Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee. 

Benediction,  -       REV.  S.  J.  NICCOLLS,  D.  D. 

6:00  P.  M.     IN  THE  CHAPEL. 
SERVICE'  OF  SONG  AND  PRAISE. 

YOUNG  P-EOPLE'S  SOCIETY  OF  CHRISTIAN  ENDEAVOR,  1888. 
Duet,  Jesus,  Lover  of  my  Soul,  F.    Campana. 

Miss  S.  J.  NELSON  AND  W.  F.  HOLLER. 
Solo,  Sun  of  my  Soul,      -  -       Wagner. 

Miss  ELSIE  K.  STEWART. 
Solo,  Holy  Father,  Hear  Us,       -  -      M.  F.  Ludds. 

Miss  S.  J.  NELSON. 
Solo,  Ashamed  of  Jesus, 

Miss  GRACE  CURRIDEN. 
Hymn,  by  the  Society. 
Solo,  He  giveth  His  Beloved  Sleep,       -         -       Franz  Abt. 

W.  F.  HOLLER. 
Hymn,  by  the  Society. 
Prayer,       ...         -  REV.  H.  R.  SCHENCK. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  II 

7:00  P.  M. 

Anthem — "Send  out  Thy  Light,"      -  -      Gounod. 

Scripture,  REV.  T.  J.  SHERRARD. 

Prayer,       -  REV.  H.  R.  SCHENCK. 

Hymn — No.  964,  The  Church's  One  Foundation. 
Offering.      "Sweet  is  Thy  Mercy,"     -  -       Barnby. 

Reminiscences,  (paper  read  by  H.  A.  RIDDLE) 

REV.  J.  GRIER  HIBBEN,  PH.  D. 

Reminiscences,     -  -     REV.  J.  A.  CRAWFORD,  D.  D. 

Reminiscences,      -  -      REV.  S.  J.  NICCOLLS,  D.  D. 

Hymn— No.  808,  Holy  Father  !  Thou  hast  Taught  Us. 
Prayer,       -  REV.  H.  R.  SCHENCK. 

Hymn — No.  597,  Blest  Be  the  Tie  that  Binds. 
Benedictus. 

MONDAY,  NOVEMBER  12,   1894,  7:00  P.   M. 

Anthem — "The  King  of  Love  my  Shepherd  is,"       Gounod. 

Scripture. 

Prayer,      -     REV.  SAMUEL  MCLANAHAN  of  Baltimore,  MD. 

Hymn — No.   570,  O    Lord  of  hosts  !  How  lovely  is,  The 

Place  where  Thou  Dost  Dwell. 
Paper — "The  Personal  History  of  Former  Pastors," 

REV.  HARRIS  R.  SCHENCK. 

Hymn — No.  583,  How  Beauteous  are  their  Feet. 
Brief  Addresses : 

On  behalf  of  the  Green  castle  Church,  (formerly  Lower  East 

Conococheague,)     REV.  L.  CARMON  BELL,  Pastor. 

On  behalf  of  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church,   a  child  of 

this  Church,  1868-1894.     ELDER  W.  H.  H.  MACKEY. 

Prayer,-  -     REV  T.  J.  SHERRARD. 

Doxology. 

Benediction,         -         -         -         -       REV.  H.  R.  SCHENCK. 


12  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

WEDNESDAY,  NOVEMBER    14,    1894,   7:30  P.    M. 

Hymn. 

Scripture,  REV.  H.  R.  SCHENCK. 

Prayer,       -  REV.  T.  J.  SHERRARD. 

Brief  Addresses  : 

On  behalf  of  the  Session,       -      ELDER  PLATT,  Clerk,  1864- 

On  behalf  of  the  Trustees, 

J.  M.  McDowELL,  Secretary  pro  tern. 
On  behalf  of  the  Sabbath  School, 

J.  S.  MclLVAiNE,  Assistant  Superintendent.* 
On  behalf  of  the  Missionary  Societies  and  Bands, 

MRS.  W.  B.  REED. 

On  behalf  of  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  MR.  W.  B.  REED. 

Hymn. 
Benediction,       -  REV.  J.  A.  CRAWFORD,  D.  D. 


*vir.  MclLVAiNE  was  unable  to  be  present, 


CHURCH  AND  HOME  ONE  HUNDRED  YEARS  AGO. 


Beloved  Brethren  of  the  Falling  Spring  Church  : 

The  unique  occasion,  which  has  called  us  together,  has  for 
me,  a  special  interest.  The  history  of  this  venerable  church 
holds  a  period  of  my  life  which  I  can  never  forget.  It  so 
happens  that  I  am  one  of  the  links  in  a  chain,  which  binds 
the  events  of  a  remote  past  to  this  present. 

It  is  my  happy  lot  to  be  one  in  the  line  of  pastors  who 
ministered  to  this  church  since  its  independent  life,  one 
hundred  years  ago.  I  regard  it  as  an  honor,  and  a  privi- 
lege, to  have  a  place  in  such  an  apostolic  succession.  No 
happier  years  of  life  have  ever  come  to  me  than  those  which 
I  spent  here,  with  the  people  of  my  first  love,  to  whom  my 
heart  still  clings  with  undying  affection.  The  dreams  of 
night  have  often  carried  me  back  to  these  scenes  of  my 
earliest  labors  in  the  gospel  ministry,  and  in  them  I  have 
again  become  your  pastor,  and  have  heard  the  familiar 
voices,  and  seen  the  dear  faces  of  those  who  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago,  gave  me  their  confidence  and  their 
love. 

As  I  now  look  upon  these  familiar  surroundings,  the 
venerable  church,  the  rushing  waters  of  Falling  Spring,  and 
the  green  God's  Acre,  in  which  slumber  in  peace  so  many 
that  are  dear  to  us, — memories  are  awakened  that  carry  me 
away  as  with  a  flood.  This  present  scene  grows  dim  and 
shadowy,  and  behind  it  in  colors  of  life  I  see  the  past. 
There  come  before  me  the  grey  haired  fathers,  the  men  and 
women,  the  boys  and  girls,  of  thirty  years  ago.  What  a 
goodly  company  !  My  heart  leaps  to  be  among  them  ;  they 

13 


14  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

lived  in  no  common  years,  for  the  atmosphere  then  was 
electric,  and  the  days  big  with  destiny  for  our  country,  and 
for  the  race.  Some  of  them  still  remain,  but  transformed  ; 
black  locks  have  whitened,  and  once  erect  forms  bend  under 
the  burden  of  years.  Ruddy-faced  youths  have  become 
stalwart  men  ;  and  sweet-faced,  laughing  girls  are  stately 
matrons.  But  the  majority  have  passed  to  that  land  from, 
which  no  answer  comes,  either  to  our  entreaties  or  to  our 
sobs.  Sweet  is  their  memory,  and  blessed  the  ministry  of 
their  lives  ! 

But  I  must  not  linger  upon  that  which  lies  within  the 
compass  of  my  memory.  The  event  which  we  commemor- 
ate demands  a  wider  range  of  thought.  It  is  wise  for  us  to 
reflect  upon  the  past,  and  to  mark  those  springs  of  influence 
whose  streams  water  and  make  glad  the  present.  There  is 
no  such  things  as  isolation  in  human  affairs.  Human  life 
is  a  continuous  stream,  and  we  can  no  more  escape  the  past 
than  we  can  the  future.  We  build  upon  what  the  fathers 
have  done.  We  are  rich  or  poor  according  to  the  legacies 
they  have  left  us ;  but  alas  !  we  are  not  always  wise  in  our 
valuation  of  what  we  have  inherited,  and  we  barter  price- 
less heirlooms  for  new  fashioned  and  tawdry  ornaments  of 
little  worth. 

My  theme  takes  us  out  of  this  noisy,  bustling  and  boast- 
ing 1 9th  century,  to  the  close  of  the  i8th.  It  is  difficult  to 
realize  what  the  backward  stride  of  a  century  means.  It 
takes  us  to  a  period  when  all  the  great  inventions,  which 
have  had  so  much  to  do  with  human  progress  and  civiliza- 
tion during  the  present  century,  were  unknown.  Railroads 
and  telegraphs  and  telephones  were  not  even  dreamed  of. 
Roads  were  few  and  poor,  and  the  means  of  travel  rude  and 
primitive.  Intercourse  between  different  parts  ol  the  country 
was  difficult,  and  each  community  lived  by  itself.  The  first 
steamboat  did  not  move  on  American  waters  until  1807,  nor 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  15 

had  the  now  obsolete  stage-coach  begun  its  course  across  the 
mountains.  The  homes  of  one  hundred  years  ago,  in  this 
fair  valley,  had  little  of  what  we  call  the  comforts  of  life. 
Matches  had  not  yet  taken  the  place  of  the  tinder  box,  nor 
stoves  supplanted  the  huge  open  fire-places.  There  were 
still  in  use  the  primitive  methods  of  spinning  and  weaving; 
good  wives,  like  Solomon's  virtuous  woman,  laid  their  hands 
to  the  distaff,  and  men  were  content  to  wear  suits  of  home- 
spun. Silks  and  broadcloths  were  the  rare  badges  of  wealth. 
The  transformation  of  the  primitive  log  houses  into  build- 
ings of  stone  and  brick,  had  just  commenced.  The  prime- 
val forests,  from  which  the  savage  Indians  had  only  recently 
been  driven,  still  stood  in  their  native  grandeur  and  beauty, 
their  edges  rent  and  torn  with  "clearings,"  which  heralded 
the  incessant  war  "which  was  being  waged  for  their  destruc- 
tion :  the  streams  swarming  with  fish,  and  the  thickets  with 
game,  made  a  hunters'  paradise.  It  was  in  short,  a  commu- 
nity laying  the  foundations  ot  a  new  civilization.  The 
larger  world,  to  which  the  inhabitants  of  this  valley  were 
related,  was  then  slowly  emerging  from  the  shadows  of  the 
middle  ages.  1794  was  the  time  of  the  Reign  of  Terror  in 
France,  and  the  effects  of  that  wild,  mad,  and  titanic  strug- 
gle for  liberty  on  the  part  of  a  brave  people  were  being  felt 
throughout  the  civilized  world.  In  England,  George  III, 
insane  by  turns,  was  on  the  throne,  and  the  great  statesmen, 
Pitt  and  Fox  and  Burke,  were  moving  the  pieces  on  the 
chess-board  of  the  nations.  In  our  own  country  the  revered 
Washington  was  president,  serving  his  second  term;  the 
Republic,  dating  its  organization  from  the  inauguration  of 
its  first  president,  was  only  five  years  old.  Adams,  Jefferson 
and  Franklin  were  alive.  Such  princes  in  the  world  of 
letters  as  Gibbon,  Voltaire,  Cowper  and  Burns,  had  either 
just  passed  away,  or  were  still  lingering  in  the  weakness  of 
old  age.  It  was  no  time  of  quiet.  The  great  nations  of 


l6  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

Europe  were  at  war  with  each  other.  New  ideas,  which 
since  then  have  embodied  themselves  into  new  states,  laws 
and  customs,  were  abroad  among  the  people  fermenting  and 
begetting  revolutions.  The  signs  of  the  times  indicated 
that  great  changes  were  at  hand,  and  men  then,  looked  to 
the  incoming  iQth  century  with  as  much  interest  and  hope 
as  we  do  to  the  20th,  now  at  hand.  It  is  under  such  cir- 
cumstances and  in  such  relations,  that  we  find  our  ances- 
tors, one  hundred  years  ago.  They,  or  their  fathers,  had 
come  to  this  fairest  valley  of  the  new  world,  to  find  homes 
for  themselves.  They  were  not  like  our  modern  emigrants, 
searchers  alter  gold,  or  speculators  in  land  ;  they  came  with 
their  wives  and  children  .  to  plant  the  family  ;  and  while 
with  their  ideas  of  thrift,  they  were  not  indifferent  to  fortune, 
their  first  care  was  to  use  the  axe  and  pknv  to  secure  the 
welfare  of  home. 

The  conditions  of  society  then  were  such  as  to  intensify 
the  life  of  home.  The  members  of  the  family  were  mutually 
dependent  on  each  other ;  not  only  common  blood,  but 
common  toil  and  common  purposes  bound  them  together. 
Channels  of  trade  and  commerce  were  not  open  to  any  great 
extent,  in  a  valley  so  remote  from  the  seaboard  as  this. 
There  were  no  large  iactories,  or  shops,  or  houses  of  trade, 
to  furnish  employment  and  attract  the  youth  from  home. 
The  great  revolution  in  society,  so  portentous  and  far- 
reaching  in  its  effects,  which  modern  machinery  has  made 
in  the  I9th  century,  had  not  as  yet  begun.  The  chief 
industries  \vere  home  industries.  The  chief  market  was 
that  of  home  ;  each  family  raised  its  own  flax  and  wool,  and 
spun  the  yarn  and  wove  its  own  garments.  Each  had  its 
own  flocks  and  herds ;  each  was  its  own  butcher  and  baker; 
from  their  own  fields  they  gathered  the  grain  or  corn  ;  their 
horses  carried  to  the  nearest  mill  and  back  again  what  Vv*as 
needed  for  meal  or  flour,  and  the  surplus  fcmnd  transforma- 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  lj 

tion  into  an  acceptable  and  potable  form  in  the  family  still- 
house.  There  was  little  need  for  money  ;  the  exchange  of 
commodities  between  families  was  all  that  was  required  ; 
home  was  supreme  as  the  centre  of  trade  and  manufacture. 
No  great  cities  with  their  strong  attractions  for  gain,  drew 
the  young  men  and  maidens  away  from  the  shelter  of  the 
paternal  roof;  at  most,  they  went  out  a  little  way  in  the 
neighborhood  to  learn  a  trade,  apprenticed  to  some  well 
known  mechanic.  And  when  mating-time  came,  like  bees 
swarming  from  the  hives,  they  went  out  to  build  another 
home  close  by. 

Home  also,  dominated  the  social  life  of  the  community  in 
a  way  greatly  different  from  its  power  at  the  present  day. 
The  mutual  dependence  of  families  developed  a  kind  of 
hospitality  which  is  almost  unknown  in  our  modern  life. 
Very  few  in  these  days  would  dare  to  come,  accompanied 
with  their  families,  to  spend  not  simply  an  evening,  but  a 
night  or  even  several  days  with  their  neighbors  ;  or  to  so 
time  their  visit  as  to  be  sure  that  they  would  be  present  at 
meal-times  ;  yet  such  was  the  general  custom  one  hundred 
years  ago.  My  lady  rushing  about,  card  case  in  hand  and 
making  a  brief  call  often  minutes,  would  have  been  regarded 
as  a  semi-lunatic,  or  at  least  as  one  of  "the  foolish  women," 
possessed  by  some  foreign  ideas.  The  free,  open  and  hearty 
hospitality  of  these  early  homes  was  one  of  their  distingiiish- 
ing  characteristics.  The  passing  traveler  found  a  ready 
welcome,  and  free  entertainment  for  man  and  beast.  Social 
life,  as  it  centered  in  the  home,  had  its  attractive  features. 
Let  no  one  suppose  that  those  days  of  strict  principles, 
rigid  rules,  catechisms,  long  sermons,  and  careful  Sabbath 
observances,  were  joyless  ones  in  the  family.  Their  social 
gatherings,  while  they  may  have  lacked  what  we  call  refine- 
ment and  polish,  were  not  inferior  to  any  modern  ones  in 
cheerful  entertainment,  innocent  mirth  and  true  sociability. 


1 8  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

I  do  not  refer  to  the  "log-rollings,"  "huskings,"  or  muster- 
days,  the  times  of  coarse  frolicking,  when  drunkenness  and 
fighting  were  not  uncommon,  and  Scotch-Irish  pugnacity 
manifested  itsell  in  many  unseemly  ways;  but  rather  to  the 
friendly  gatherings  of  the  neighbors  in  each  others  houses. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  one  of  these  evenings  at  home. 
The  family  is  gathered  around  the  open  fireplace,  in  which 
the  burning  logs  crackle  and  spark  as  with  sympathetic  joy. 
The  ruddy  flame  roars  up  the  black-throated  chimney,  and 
the  shadows  dance  and  chase  each  other  over  the  well-swept 
and  uncarpeted  floor.  Suddenly,  footsteps  and  a  loud  knock- 
ing, announce  the  coming  of  visitors,  and  the  circle  around  the 
fire  is  enlarged  to  give  them  a  place  in  the  genial  heat  and 
light.  Another,  and  another  come;  fathers  and  mothers 
arrive  bringing  the  young  folks,  and  the  circle  grows  wider ; 
another  log  is  added  to  the  fire,  and  its  flames  dance  and 
leap  more  merrily.  The  men  talk,  as  men  do  now,  of  the 
news  of  the  day,  mainly  neighborhood  matters  ;  the  women 
of  household  affairs,  and  the  children  drawn  together  by  the 
sweet  freemasonry  of  childhood,  start  their  games,  or  listen 
breathlessy  to  the  oft-told  stories  of  some  old  soldier  of  the 
war  of  Independence,  or  of  a  bold  Indian  fighter  and  his 
hair-breadth  escape  from  savage  foes.  There  is  no  restraint 
or  formality.  There  are  jokes,  and  repartee,  and  laughter, 
not  nicely  modulated,  but  hearty  and  loud.  The  good  wife 
at  last  brings  out  from  the  household  store  the  refreshment 
for  her  guests  ;  hickory-nuts  and  walnuts,  apples,  pies  and 
cakes ;  for  drink  there  is  cider,  nor  do  the  men  fail  to  take 
that  which  every  well  furnished  house  contained,  whiskey, 
judged  necessary  to  keep  out  the  cold  in  winter,  as  well  as 
the  heat  .in  summer.  They  return  early,  and  ten  o'clock 
finds  all  in  bed,  and  the  fire  on  the  hearth  slumbering  quietly 
under  its  blanket  of  ashes. 

A  short  time  ago  in  a  home  west  of  the  Mississippi,  I 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  19 

came  across  a  volume  in  which  were  some  old  letters  written 
by  a  Chambersburg  girl,  which  gave  some  interesting 
glimpses  into  the  home  life  of  one  hundred  years  ago.  One 
dated  Chambersburg,  December  lyth,  1793,  addressed  to  her 
mother,  reads; 

"Last  Saturday  we  set  out  in  a  sleigh,  amidst  a  volley  of 
snowballs  sent  after  us  by  Mr.  Dunlop,  to  visit  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Johnson.  For  several  miles  no  persons  were  ever  better 
pleased  with  themselves  and  each  other.  Nature  smiled 
in  her  white  vestments,  pure  as  innocence  and  peaceful  as 
ourselves ;  but  alas  !  a  fateful  stump,  as  if  to  teach  us  the 
mutability  of  human  happiness,  proved  fatal  to  our  progress; 
in  an  instant  we  were  all  thrown  out  and  enveloped  in 
snowdrifts.  One  part  of  the  sleigh  remained  with  us  ;  the 
other  attached  to  the  horses  was  proceeding  to  the  Doctor's 
as  though  the  Furies  were  driving.  Mr.  Calhoun  set  off  as 
soon  as  he  could  disengaged  himself  to  overtake  them,  and 
if  possible  be  in  at  the  "brush."  It  would  have  been  a 
severe  "brush"  to  us,  but  for  a  little  one  horse  sleigh,  that 
but  a  few  moments  before  had  afforded  us  a  subject  for  the 
greatest  merriment.  After  a  hearty  laugh  at  our  expense, 
its  owner  took  us  in  and  conveyed  us  to  our  destination." 

The  winter,  then,  because  of  enforced  cessation  from  toil 
in  the  fields,  was  specially  the  time  for  social  enjoyment, 
but  it  was  not  by  any  means  a  time  of  idleness.  The  loom 
and  spinning  wheel  were  busy,  and  varied  domestic  duties 
gave  ample  employment  for  the  household.  Summer 
.  brought  its  toil  in  planting  and  reaping,  but  it  was  still 
tamily  work,  in  which  all  had  a  share. 

It  was  in  the  main,  home  life  among  agricultural  people, 
a  life  of  simplicity,  frugality  and  honest  toil ;  but  we  would 
sadly  misconceive  it,  if  we  supposed  it,  a  hard  and  joyless 
one.  If  those  early  homes  had  less  of  what  we  call  the 
adornments  and  the  comforts  of  life,  it  is  certain  they  had 


20  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

as  much,  if  not  more,  ot  true  happiness ;  for  that  does  not 
depend  upon  carpeted  floors,  costly  furniture  and  the  up- 
holsterers' art.  Those  who  have  reached  ease  and  plenty 
through  toil  and  self-denial,  can  testify  that  some  of  their 
happiest  days  were  those  of  their  earlier  years,  when  they 
were  struggling  in  hope  of  something  better,  and  found  a 
sweet  content  in  their  little  gains. 

Happiness  can  sit  at  the  humble  fireside,  clad  in  homespun 
garments,  and  be  as  truly  herself,  as  when  robed  in  silks, 
adorned  with  jewels,  and  dwelling  in  a  palace :  nay,  oftener 
does  she  come  with  her  smiling  face  to  the  lowly  home 
where  honest  thrift,  daily  toil,  and  united  aims  bind  the 
household  together. 

The  pride  of  fathers  and  the  joy  of  mothers  in  their  chil- 
dren were  just  as  great  a  hundred  years  ago  as  now  ;  the 
wine  of  life  was  then  as  intoxicating  to  youth,  and  young 
maidens  knew  as  much  of  the  sweetness  of  love,  when  to 
the  merry  hum  of  the  spinning  wheel,  they  listened  to  their 
lovers'  tender  words,  as  do  the  modern  ones  resting  on 
damask  cushions,  and  hearing  the  sweet  old  story,  to  the 
accompaniment  of  the  piano. 

Nor  was  home  life  then  all  Arcadian  simplicity  and 
unbroken  content  ;  alas,  there  is  no  happy  valley  on  earth 
within  whose  compass  men  can  find  perfect  peace,  and  satis- 
faction for  all  their  aspirations.  It  could  not  be  said  of  all 
who  lived  in  this  valley  then,  that ; 

.  "Along  the  cool,  sequestered  vale  of  life, 
They  kept  the  noiseless  tenor  of  their  way, 

There  was  then  as  now,  a  larger  world  beyond,  whose 
influence  was  more  or  less  felt,  and  whose  charm  fell  on 
some  with  delight. 

The  letters  to  which  I  have  already  referred,  give  some 
glimpses  of  it.  One,  dated,  Philadelphia,  February  25th, 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  21 

1795,  gives  us  a  description  of  the  celebration  of  Washing- 
ton's birthday,  and  of  a  reception  to  the  President. 

"The  morning  of  the  22nd  was  ushered  in  by  the  discharge 
of  heavy  artillery.  The  whole  city  was  in  commotion,- 
making  arrangements  to  demonstrate  their  attachment  to 
our  beloved  President.  The  Masonic,  Cincinnati  and  the 
military  orders  united  in  doing  him  honor.  Happy  Repub- 
lic, great  and  glorious  ! 

"Mrs.  Cadwaleder  was  too  indisposed  to  attend  the  ball ; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  with  Dr.  Spring  called  for  me  in  their 
coach.  Dr.  Rodman  met  us  at  the  door  and  conducted  us 
to  Mrs.  Washington.  She  half  arose  as  we  made  our  pass- 
ing compliments.  She  was  dressed  in  a  rich  silk  entirely 
without  ornament,  except  the  animation  her  amiable  heart 
gave  to  her  countenance.  Next  her  were  sitting  the  wives 
of  foreign  embassadors,  glittering  with  ornaments  from  the 
floor  to  the  summit  of  their  head  dress.  One  of  the  ladies 
wore  three  large  ostrich  feathers.  Her  brow  was  encircled 
by  a  sparkling  fillet  of  diamonds.  Her  neck  and  arms  were 
almost  covered  with  jewels,  and  two  watches  were  suspended 
from  her  girdle,  all  reflecting  the  light  from  a  hundred 
directions.  Such  superabundance  of  ornaments  struck  me 
as  injudicious.  We  look  too  much  at  the  gold  and  pearls 
to  do  justice  to  the  lady. 

The  seats  were  arranged  like  those  of  an  amphitheatre, 
and  cords  were  stretched  on  each  side  of  the  room  about 
three  feet  from  the  floor,  to  preserve  sufficient  space  for  the 
dancers.  We  were  not  long  seated  when  General  Washing- 
ton entered  and  bowed  to  the  ladies,  as  he  passed  around  the 
room.  "He  comes,  he  comes,  the  hero  comes,"  I  involun- 
tarily and  softly  exclaimed.  When  he  bowed  to  me,  I  could 
scarcely  resist  the  impulse  of  my  heart  that  almost  burst 
through  my  bosom,  to  meet  him.  On  this  evening,  my 
dress  was  white  brocaded  silk,  trimmed  with  silver  and 


22  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

white  silk,  high  heel  shoes  embroidered  with  silver,  and  a 
light  blue  sash,  with  a  silver  cord  and  tassel  tied  at  the  left 
side.  My  watch  was  suspended  at  the  right,  and  my  hair 
•was  in  its  natural  curls.  Surmounting  all,  was  a  small 
white  hat,  and  white  ostrich  feather  confined  by  a  brilliant 
pin  and  buckle." 

But  there  is  still  another  feature  of  the  horns  life  of  our 
fathers,  which  must  not  be  overlooked.  It  is  its  religiousness. 
Whatever  we  may  think  of  the  piety  of  that  age,  or  what- 
ever may  have  been  its  defects,  it  was  profoundly  serious 
and  earnest.  It  made  itself  felt  in  all  the  regulations  of 
home.  It  set  up  a  family  altar,  with  its  morning  and  even- 
ing sacrifice  of  praise  and  prayer.  It  -made  the  Bible  the 
supreme  law  of  the  household,  and  men,  to  the  best  of  their 
ability,  set  their  consciences  by  it,  as  they  did  their  clocks 
by  the  sun,  deeming  both  infallible,  in  all  their  directions. 
In  their  simple  faith,  they  looked  upon  children  as  gifts 
from  God,  the  more  the  better,  and  they  trained  them  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  The  admonition  was 
at  times  made  humanly  severe  and  rigorous,  but  it  was  ever- 
true  to  the  end  in  view.  Family  government  was  not  then 
in  the  hands  of  the  children,  but  with  the  parents,  according 
to  God's  Ordinance.  The  catechism  had  to  be  learned,  nor 
was  attendance  upon  the  sanctuary  an  optional  matter  with 
the  children.  The  infant  in  the  mother's  arms,  and  the 
eldest  born,  reaching  his  majority,  were  alike  brought  to  the 
Sabbath  services.  The  family  as  a  unit  was  expected  to 
attend,  nor  was  any  day  in  the  family  life  more  marked  than 
the  Sabbath.  Its  sanctity  was  not  to  be  violated  by  any 
needless  work,  nor  by  social  visiting,  nor  by  any  loud  speech 
or  boisterous  mirth.  Whistling  was  an  impropriety,  and 
the  playing  of  any  musical  instrument  a  serious  offense. 
Even  the  preparation  of  food  allowable  on  other  days,  or 
walking  idly  abroad,  was  forbidden.  The  playfulness  of 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  23 

children  was  repressed,  and  an  air  of  solemnity  pervaded  the 
house.  The  day  stood  alone,  reminding-  them  of  the  awful 
presence  of  the  invisible  God,  and  of  their  obligations  to 
Him.  It  was  one  of  the  most  important  educators  of  home 
life,  and  it  can  easily  be  seen  how  it  made  avleep  impression 
upon  character.  It  is  quite  common  to  speak  ot  the  old- 
time  Sabbath  observances  with  a  sneer,  as  a  remnant  of 
Jewish  bongage,  or  as  creating  a  distaste  for  religion.  They 
have  been  described  as  sombre  and  awful  days,  lacking  in 
the  freeness  and  sweetness  of  the  gospel  dispensation.  Some 
did  feel  them  to  be  a  restraint  and  a  burden,  but  not  all. 
There  are  those  to  whom,  in  after  years,  their  memory  was  a 
delight.  Let  our  young  lady  from  Chambersburg  testify  on 
this  point.  This  is  what  she  writes  in  the  year  1818:  "Oh, 
that  we  could  rightly  estimate  the  privilege  of  having  one- 
seventh  ot  our  time  secluded  from  the  busy  world.  I  yet 
recollect  a  Sabbath  evening  walk  at  Loudoun.  The  day 
had  passed  in  retirement  and  useful  reading  and  conversa- 
tion, when  our  mother  proposed  a  walk  to  the  hills.  Bella 
and  I  accompanied  her,  and  we  pursued  a  path  through  a 
meadow,  around  a  gentle  hill,  and  crossed  a  stile,  coming  to 
a  forest.  Here  we  paused.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
meadow  was  a  broad  creek  not  disturbed  as  on  other  days, 
by  the  wheels  of  different  mills, .  reflecting  on  its  smooth, 
clear,  surface  the  luxuriance  of  its  bank.  All  nature  seemed 
to  enjoy  its  Sabbath  ;  all  was  still.  The  distant  houses  in 
view*  were  closed,  the  cattle  grazed  undisturbed,  and  Mount 
Parnell's  sum  mi:  received  the  brilliant  rays  of  the  declining 
sun.  Our  dear  mother,  aware  of  the  importance  of  early 
religious  impressions,  said  to  us :  'How  sublime  will  be  an 
eternal  Sabbath.'  The  stillness  of  the  air,  the  grandeur  of 
the  trees,  the  notes  of  the  evening  bird,  and  the  conversa- 
tion with  our  mother,  occasioned  an  unusual  seriousness. 
She  spoke  of  the  evil  propensities  of  the  heart,  the  necessity 


24  THE  FALLING  SPRING 

of  virtuous  principle,  the  importance  of  revelation  as  an 
infallible  guide,  assuring  us  that  no  mere  personal  advantage 
could  secure  our  happiness.  'It  is'  said  she  'the  religion 
of  Jesus  alone  that  can  give  peace  and  eternal  felicity.' 
Then  kneeling,  with  one  of  us  on  each  side  of  her,  she 
prayed.  I  look  upon  this  as  the  most  sublime  moment 
of  my  life.  -I  felt  myself  introduced  to  God." 

Certain  it  is  that  out  of  such  homes,  and  from  such  train- 
ing, came  men  and  women  who  felt  as  none  other,  their 
obligations  to  God.  Their  religious  convictions  were  clear 
and  strong.  Life  to  them  was  a  serious  affair ;  but  there 
was  a  high  and  solemn  gladness  in  it,  like  the  joy  of  angels, 
for  they  felt  that  in  all  its  conflict,  sorrows  and  temptations, 
they  were  serving  God,  and  could  have  His  smile  of 
approval. 

Thtrir  moral  opinions  were  as  stalwart  as  their  bodies.  It 
may  have  been  Spartan  discipline  that  they  received,  but  it 
made  heroes.  There  is  no  factor  more  potent  in  society  for 
good  or  ill,  than  home  life.  It  is  the  fountain  head  of  both 
Church  and  State,  and  gives  character  to  each  of  them.  ,  It 
is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  old,  God-fearing  homes  of 
the  Cumberland  Valley  have  affected  most  powerfully  the 
civilization-  of  our  country.  Their  descendants,  multiplied 
into  millions,  still  feel  and  perpetuate  the  pious  influences 
of  their  ancestral  home. 

The  other  part  of  my  theme  relates  to  the  Church.  The  * 
religious  beliefs  of  a  people  are  the  supreme  forces  in  devel- 
oping their  social  and  national  life.  They  ultimately  modify 
and  control  laws,  customs,  education,  in  sjhort  all  that  enters 
into  their  civilization.  '  According  as  their  beliefs  are  pure 
and  true,  or  corrupt  and  superstitious,  the  people  rise  or  fall 
in  the  scale  of  nations.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  the 
early  settlers  of  this  valley  were  almost  exclusively  Scotch- 
Irish,  and  Presbyterians  in  their  faith.  They  heartily 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  25 

accepted  the  Westminster  symbols  in  their  entirety,  and 
b.elieved  that  they  had  the  only  true,  scriptural  polity  of 
Church  government.  Their  ancestors  had  held  the  same 
faith,  and  so  it  was  in  their  blood.  It  had  been  received  as 
a  priceless  heirloom  from  men  who  had  fought  for  it,  and 
suffered  and  died  for  it.  It  was  the  faith  of  martyrs  and 
confessors,  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy.  They  hated 
the  papacy  as  the  embodiment  of  anti-Christ,  a  cruel  perse- 
cutor, drunk  with  the  blood  of  saints.  They  hated  Episco- 
pacy with  only  a  less  hatred,  because  it  resembled  "the 
scarlet  woman,"  and  it  too  had  been  their  persecutor.  They 
were  not  exempt  from  intolerance,  sectarianism  and  bigotry, 
judged  by  our  times  ;  but  they  were  tolerant  of  the  faith  of 
others,  judged  by  their  own  times.  That  is  to  say,  they  did 
not  persecute  others  by  force  for  their  religious  opinions, 
although  they  had  the  power  to  do  it ;  they  suffered  the 
Quakers  and  the  Mennonites  to  remain  unmolested  in  their 
midst.  They  did  not  maltreat  the  Methodists  when  they 
appeared,  but  they  did  look  upon  them  as  a  poor,  benighted 
people,  led  astray  by  religious  fanaticism  and  more  worthy 
of  pity  or  contempt  than  respect.  Their  ecclesiastical  rela- 
tions with  others  were  like  those  of  the  ancient  Jews  and 
Samaritans.  But  whatever  may  have  been  their  defects  in 
Christian  love,  and  they  were  those  of  their  time,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  they  held  a  faith  which  wrought  most 
powerfully  for  righteousness  in  human  society.  The  undi- 
luted Calvinism  which  was  preached  to  them,  and  on  which 
they  fed  with  relish,  could  not  but  prove  a  mighty  incentive 
to  right  moral  action.  It  not  only  quickened  the  mind  by 
bringing  before  it  the  most  stupendous  abstract  questions 
that  could  occupy  its  attentions,  but  it  gave  to  those  ques- 
tions an  awful  reality,  and  a  direct  application  to  human 
life.  Its  central  doctrine  was  the  sovereignty  of  God,  to 
which  all  must  bow  in  unquestioning  submission.  It 


26  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

looked  upon  all  men  as  ruined  and  lost  under  the  power  of 
sin,  and  none  might  hope  for  salvation  save  through  the 
operations  of  sovereign  grace,  saving  according  to  its  own 
gocd  pleasure.  But  this  doctrine  was  not  preached  or  held 
as  a  grim  fatalism,  manifesting  itself  in  arbitrary  decrees 
which  bound  men  as  in  chains ;  on  the  contrary,  it  was 
insisted  that  the  soul  of  man  was  ever  free,  that  he  was 
always  responsible  for  his  actions,  that  in  accordance  with 
the  divine  commands  and  promises,  this  saving  and  sover- 
eign grace  was  to  be  sought  after,  and  that  its  reception 
meant  perserverance  in  righteousness.  It  was  a  faith  that 
inspired  and  compelled  action.  ^he  men  of  that  day 
believed  strenuously,  not  in  man's  fore-ordination,  but  in 
God's ;  so  their  chief  care  was  to  hold  themselves  in  har- 
mony with  His  decrees.  This  gave  a  strength  and  boldness 
to  their  convictions  which  nothing  could  crush.  They  did 
not  change  their  characters  or  their  conduct  with  their 
circumstances.  They  would  do  on  earth,  that  which  would 
pass  inspection  at  the  Supreme  Court  in  Heaven.  The 
sense  of  duty  grew  stron  y,  rugged  and  unyielding  as  iron, 
in  the  light  of  the  doctrine  of  divine  sovereignty,  as  revealed 
in  the  written  Word.  While  it  set  their  consciences  free 
from  all  the  commandments  and  traditions  of  men,  it  also 
made  them  uncompromising  in  following  what  they  believed 
to  be  the  teachings  of  Holy  Scripture.  They  were  an 
impractical  sort  of  people  to  those  who  wished  to  guide 
conduct  by  expediency,  or  gain  peace  by  compromise. 

Perhaps  they  were  sometimes  over-scrupulous,  and  did 
not  always  distinguish  between  their  prejudices  and  their 
consciences.  Admit  that  they  were  at  times  angular  and 
exacting  ;  but  it  was  by  such  men  that  the  foundations  of  a 
great  republic  were  laid,  and  who  will  find  fault  with  the 
granite  block  because  its  corners  are  not  smooth  as  silk,  and 
soft  as  wool? 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  27 

This  same  Calvinistic  faith  developed  within  them,  as  it 
has  done  everywhere,  the  possibilities  of  self  government. 
It  made  the  atmosphere  most  favorable  for  true  freedom. 
The  men  whose  consciences  would  not  permit  them  to 
kneel  to  any  object  or  being,  other  than  the  living  and 
invisible  God,  were  already  free  men  and  fit  for  a  free 
government.  So  it  was  when  on  the  4th  of  July,  1776,  the 
Liberty  Bell  in  Phildelphia  rang  out  the  tidings'  that  the 
colonies  had  declared  their  independence,  in  this  valley  the 
hearts  of  the  people  responded  in  joy  as  the  heart  of  one 
man.  Nowhere  did  patriotic  fervor  burn  higher  or  more 
brightly  than  among  the  Presbyterian  Scotch-Irish.  From 
this  very  place  a  company  marched  to  Boston  and  took  part 
in  the  famous  struggle  on  Bunker  Hill ;  and  it  was  in  this 
very  Church  that  an  attempt  was  made,  through  excessive 
zeal,  to  discipline  a  member  because  it  was  suspected  that 
his  sympathies  were  not  wholly  with  the  patriotic  cause. 

The  teaching  from  the  pulpit  one  hundred  years  ago,  while 
evangelical,  was  strongly  doctrinal  in  its  character.  Special 
emphasis  was  given  to  the  distinctive  features  of  Calvinism, 
and  its  famous  five  points  of  doctrine  found  long  elucidations 
and  fervent  applications.  The  instruction  given  was  sys- 
tematic, and  in  a  direct  line  with  the  doctrinal  teachings  of 
the  Westminster  catechisms,  and  as  a  result,  the  people 
knew '  what  they  believed.  There  were  also  systematic 
expositions  of  Scripture,  generally  a  series  of  discourses  on 
particular  books  of  the  sacred  volume  ;  a  kind  of  expository 
preaching  which  has  fallen  largely  into  disuse  at  the  present 
time.  Nor  were  the  church-goers  of  those  days  afraid  of  a 
long  sermon.  They  expected  an  hour,  or  even  more,  to  be 
spent  in  opening  up  the  Word.  They  cared  not  so  much 
for  exhortation  as  for  solid  instruction,  and  they  got  it. 
They  wanted  strong  meat ;  not  milk  for  babes.  There  was 
also  a  stern  simplicity  in  the  manner  of  worship,  which  was 


28  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

strikingly  in  accord  with  their  faith.  A  century  nearer  to 
reformation  struggles  than  we  are,  they  had  an  intense 
aversion  to  anything  like  forms,  ceremonials,  rituals  or  even 
decorations  in  the  church.  All  these  seemed  to  them  to 
savpr  of  popery.  It  was  something  that  tended  to  obscure, 
rather  than  reveal  spiritual  things.  Their  houses  of  worship 
were  severely  plain  and  unadorned.  Stained  glass,  especi- 
ally if  marked  by  some  sacred  symbol,  or  even  by  the  sign 
of  the  cross,  would  not  have  been  tolerated.  Organs  would 
not  have  been  allowed  in  the  service  ol  praise.  The 
psalmody  used  was  the  old  rugged  Rouse's  version.  The 
singing  of  hymns  was  objected  to  as  the  offering  of  strange 
fire  upon  the  altar.  The  communion  was  celebrated  at 
long  intervals,  and  was  introduced  by  a  fast  day,  and  special 
services.  The  communicants  partook  of  it  seated  at  a  table, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  receive  a  token  from  the  elders  in 
order  to  participate  in  it.  At  that  time  there  was  no  little 
complaint  upon  the  part  of  some  pious  souls,  of  formalism 
and  coldness  in  the  church.  The  weekly  prayer  meeting 
had  not  as  yet  become  the  custom,  nor  was  the  Sunday 
school  in  existence.  Years  ago  it  was  my  privilege  to  read 
the  manuscript  containing  the  constitution  and  rules  of  the 
first  Sunday  school  organized  in  this  church.  Its  accounts 
were  kept  in  pounds,  shillings  and  pance.  Each  Sabbath 
there  was  a  new  superintendent,  and  the  instruction  consisted 
largely  in  reciting  the  catechism,  and  repeating  portions  of 
the  Scriptures.  The  churches,  especially  in  the  new  settle- 
ments, were  struggling  for  existence,  and  there  was  not  as 
yet  any  foreign  missionary  spirit  among  them.  The  times 
of  refreshing  from  the  Lord  had  not  yet  come.  The  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  1799  "laments  the  declination  of  the  vital 
spirit  of  religion  and  the  abundance  and  boldness  of  impiety 
and  immorality  ;"  it  said  :  "a  vain  and  pernicious  philosophy 
has  in  many  instances  spread  its  infection  over  Europe  and 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH*  29 

America,  and  the  introduction  ot  a  multitude  of  licentious 
and  unprincipled  writings  have  poisoned  the  source  of  morals 
in  certain  classes  of  society,  or  in  particular  districts  of  the 
church."  It  called  earnestly  upon  its  ministers  to  exert 
themselves  to  resist  the  progress  of  vice  and  profaneness,  and 
to  advance  the  principles  and  practice  of  virtue  and  piety. 
Drunkenness  was  the  prevailing  vice  of  the  time,  greatly 
fostered  by  social  customs,  and  the  prevailing  type  of  unbe- 
lief was  of  the  gross,  ribald  school  of  Tom  Paine.  The 
Presbyterian  ministers  of  that  period  were  unquestionably 
the  foremost  in  influence,  scholarship  and  general  culture. 
They  were  for  the  most  part  liberally  educated,  and  they 
became  the  leading  teachers  as  well  as  preachers  in  the 
community.  True  to  the  genius  of  Presbyterianism,  they 
were  strenuous  advocates  of  popular  education,  and  the 
academies  and  colleges  of  that  period  were  in  the  majority 
of  cases,  organized  and  established  through  their  instru- 
mentality. The  pastor  of  this  church  onev  hundred  years 
ago,  Rev.  William  Speer,  was  a  fair  representative  of  the 
ministry  of  that  day.  His  piety  was  ardent  and  self  deny- 
ing, and  his  preaching  solemn  and  practical.  His  zeal  in 
the  missionary  cause  led  him  to  resign  his  charge  after  three 
years'  service  and  go  to  Chillicothe,  then  in  the  territory  of 
the  Northwest.  Subsequently,  on  account  of  domestic 
affliction,  he  returned  to  Western  Pennsylvania  and  became 
the  pastor  of  the  churches  of  Greensburg  and  Unity.  One 
of  these  churches  I  attended  in  my  boyhood,  and  the  memory 
of  this  godly  man  was  still  cherished  in  the  traditions  of  the 
people.  After  him,  in  the  year  1800  came  the  Rev.  David 
JDenny,  who  remained  in  this  pastorate  for  38  years.  When 
I  came  among  you  in  1860,  there  were  those  living  who  had 
enjoyed  his  ministrations,  and  who  held  him  in  affectionate 
remembrance.  He  was  a  type  of  another  class  in  the 
ministry  of  that  period.  He  was  not  a  brilliant  orator,  but 


30  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

his  fidelity  as  a  pastor,  and  the  manifest  sincerity  of  his 
Christian  character  gave  more  than  the  power  of  eloquence 
to  his  discourses,  which  were  plain,  systematic  and  direct 
presentations  of  the  gospel.  He  wore  well,  and  enjoyed  in 
a  more  than  ordinary  degree,  the  esteem  and  affection  of  the 
whole  community.  In  addition  to.  his  pastoral  labors,  he 
taught  in  the  academy  which  still  exists  among  you. 

Time  fails  me,  nor  does  it  fall  within  the  limits  of  my 
subject  to  speak  of  his  successors.  One  of  them  was  Rev. 
Daniel  McKinley,  D.  D.,  who  preached  and  labored  with 
the  zeal  of  an  apostle,  and  who  was  known  in  all  the 
churches  for  his  consecration  and  his  success  in  his  Master's 
service.  Another  was  Rev.  Joseph  Clark,  able  and  scholarly, 
who  labored  here  with  great  acceptance  until  1859,  when 
he  resigned  his  church  on  account  of  failing  "health. 

We  have  taken  but  a  brief  glance  at  the  state  of  affairs  in 
the  crmrch  100  years  ago.  We  have  seen  earnest  and  heroic 
men  and  women  toiling  in  building  up  the  kingdom  of 
Christ.  Their  work  at  best  was  incomplete  and  imperfect. 
"Through  the  ages  one  increasing  purpose  runs,"  and  the 
best  any  generation  can  do,  is  to  hasten  the  fulfillment  ot ' 
that  purpose  a  little  by  its  toil,  and  to  leave  an  unfinished  work 
to  its  successor.  But  the  completion  is  sure  to  come,  and 
the  day  will  dawn  when  the  top  stone  shall  be  laid  with 
shoutings  of  "Grace,  grace  unto  it." 

Within  the  limits  of  a  century  there  is  room  for  advance 
and  we  ought  to  notice  some  progress.  In  some  things  we 
are  better  than  our  fathers.  At  least  we  have  some  better 
things  granted  to  us,  for  which  we  must  thank  God.  There 
has  been  a  change  in  theology,  not  in  its  great  essential 
doctrines,  but  in  their  perspective  and  arrangement.  It  has 
become  more  Christo-centric.  Less  emphasis  is  placed 
upon  distinctive  doctrine,  and  more  upon  the  person  of 
Christ.  There  is  less  of  denominational  zeal  and  more  of 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  31 

missionary  fervor.  The  fires  of  ecclesiastical  controversy 
that  once  burned  so  fiercely,  have  largely  died  out.  There 
is' less  importance  attached  to  different  shades  of  doctrinal 
opinion,  and  more  to  the  direct  application  of  the  gospel  to 
the  needs  of  man.  Christianity  has  become  more  genial 
and  sympathetic,  and  concerns  itself  more  about  the  sorrows 
and  sufferings  of  man  in  this  life.  The  church  has  awak- 
ened more  fully  to  her  missionary  service,  and  feels  as  never 
before  her  obligations  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole 
world.  The  air  at  the  close  of  the  i9th  century  is  not  that 
01  the  close  of  the  i8th.  There  is  more  of  the  subtle  power 
of  spring,  more  warmth  and  sunshine  in  it ;  the  light  of  a 
brighter  hope  shines  on  us. 

But  if  there  is  gain,  there  may  also  be  loss.  All  forward 
movement  is  not  progress.  The  age  of  which  I  speak  had 
its  defects,  but  so  has  our  own,  and  if  increasing  light  makes 
greater  responsibility,  our  defects  are  the  more  serious.  If 
our  fathers  emphasized  in  excess  the  divine  sovereignty  in 
their  theology,  their  view  at  least  made  them  strong  men, 
with  inflexible  principles.  If  they  insisted  strenuously  upon 
the  teachings  of  sound  doctrine  and  were  intolerant  of  any 
deflection  from  orthodoxy,  they  had  at  least  clear  and  posi- 
tive convictions  of  truth,  and  were  not  driven  to  and  fro  by 
every  idle  gust  of  opinion.  However  it  might  be  with 
others,  they  never  lost  sight  of  the  deep  and  eternal  dis- 
tinction between  right  and  wrong.  If,  as  charged,  they 
were  at  times  narrow  and  intolerant  in  their  opinions,  those 
opinions  had  depth  and  strength  and  made  their  lives  seri- 
ous, dignified  and  forceful.  It  they  were  rough  and  angular, 
they  were  at  least  granite  like  men,  fit  to  be  the  foundations 
to  support  the  mighty  superstructure  that  was  to  the  reared 
on  their  achievements;  what  they  were  in  faith  and  endur- 
ance made  possible  the  better  days  to  come.  It  is  to  be 
feared  that  we  have  lost  some  of  the  qualities .  that  made 


32  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

them  great  and  strong.  If  we  are  more  liberal  and  tolerant 
in  our  views  of  doctrine,  there  is  danger  that  they  will 
degenerate  into  indifference  to  error.  Insistence  upon  the 
divine  love  as  the  central  fact  in  theology  may  lead  us  to 
forget  the  divine  justice,  and  the  holy  demands  of  inexorable 
law.  A  revolt  against  doctrinal  preaching  may  lead  to  the 
obscuring  oi  the  great  essential  facts  of  redemption,  and  the 
preaching  of  what  is  called  a  simple  gospel,  be  nothing  more 
than  the  proclamation  of  vapory  sentiments  which  have  no 
power  to  save  men.  We  are  in  danger  of  exalting  our 
boasted  liberalism  over  the  authority  of  the  Word  of  God, 
and  of  making  the  gospel  a  means  of  securing  prosperous 
living  in  this  world,  rather  than  eternal  life  in  the  world  to 
come. 

A  revival  of  the  spirit  of  our  fathers  in  their  uncompro- 
mising loyalty  to  Christ  and  His  church,  would  not  hurt, 
but  rather  help  us.  It  would  lead  to  a  sharper  separation 
between  the  church  and  the  world,  the  better  observance  of 
the  Lord's  day,  a  higher  standard  of  morals,  a  truer  valua- 
tion of  sound  doctrine,  and  to  clearer  testimony  for  the  truth. 

There  are  also  perils  besetting  us  which  did  not  face  our 
fathers  ;  these  grow  out  of  the  changed  conditions  of  society ; 
out  of  increased  luxury  and  the  hurry  and  excitement  ot 
modern  life.  The  old  isolation  which  while  it  may  have 
led  to  narrowness  of  thought,  still  intensified  it,  has  gone. 
The  general  dissemination  of  education,  and  modern  inven- 
tions have  made  us  sharers  in  the  life  of  the  world.  The 
thoughts  of  men,  Christian  and  anti-Christian,  the  convic- 
tions and  opinions  of  all  lands  are  mingled  in  the  intellectual 
and  moral  atmosphere  which  we  breathe.  The  demands  of 
modern  life  give  us  little  time  for  discrimination,  for  medi- 
tation and  devotion.  We  are  in  danger  of  being  secularized 
and  have  already  lost  much  of  the  intensity  that  charac- 
terized the  piety  of  former  days.  The  philosophic  theology 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  33 

of  the  past  never  had  an  attitude  so  dangerous  to  our  holy 
faith  as  modern  speculative  thought,  or  so  called  criticism 
which  would  subvert  the  very  foundations  of  revealed  truth. 
The  supernatural  was  not  a  matter  of  doubt  to  our  lathers  ; 
now  it  is  beset  with  doubt  and  assailed  both  in  the  name  of 
science  and  rational  religion. 

We  need  to  beware  lest  in  our  boasted  progress  we  are 
only  drifting  away  from  our  old  secure  anchorage  and  are 
being  carried  out  into  a  sea  of  confusion  and  darkness.  I 
rejoice  to  know  that  this  grand  old  church  remains  true  to 
its  historic  faith,  and  that  same  Gospel  which  strengthened 
and  comforted  our  fathers  is  still  faithfully  preached  to  you. 


ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME. 


We  have  gathered  here  for  the  purpose  of  celebrating  an 
anniversary,  and  the  exercises  of  this  evening  are  an  intro- 
duction to  the  exercises  that  are  to  follow  and  be  continued 
for  several  days.  That  the  object  of  this  anniversary  had 
an  honored  existence  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  we  have 
gathered  to  celebrate  it,  as  we  are  accustomed  to  celebrate 
only  those  lives  or  existences  in  which  we  can  take  a  just 
pride  and  have  a  pleasure  in  recalling. 

The  subject  of  this  celebration  has  had  an  honored  exist- 
ence, and  we  should  come  with  joyous  hearts,  deeming  it  a 
privilege  to  participate  in  the  exercises  which  commemorate 
the  1 6oth  anniversary  of  the  lounding  of  "The  Falling  Spring 
Church"  and  on  the  rounding  of  the  full  century  mark  as 
a  separate  and  independent  organization.  When  a  man  has 
lived  a  life  that  distinguishes  him  among,  his  fellows  and 
honors  cluster  around  his  head,  the  measure  of  whose  days 
is  full  of  deeds  of  loyal  service  and  devotion  to  the  cause  of 
humanity,  the  day  that  brought  him  into  this  world  is  some- 
times recognized  and  set  apart  for  the  purpose  of  extolling 
his  virtues  and  singing  his  praises.  When  nations  become 
great  they  glory,  on  stated  occasions,  to  celebrate  their  pros- 
perity. Those  of  us  who  attended  the  Columbian  Exposition 
saw  the  United  States  celebrate  the  discovery  of  the  contin- 
ent of  which  it  formed  a  part,  on  a  scale  of  magnificence  and 
grandeur,  the  like  of  which  the  world  had  never  seen.  And 
well  it  might  so  celebrate,  for  no  celebration,  however  mag- 
nificent, could  approach  in  grandeur  the  good  that  the  land 
of  the  Stars  and  Stripes  has  conferred  on  man. 

These  are  but  human  institutions,  and  if  it  is  proper  to 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  35 

celebrate  the  day  and  year  that  gave  them  birth,  how  much 
more  appropriate  to  recognize  the  time  when  a  Divine 
Institution  was  given  to  the  world. 

It  is  the  continued  existence  of  such  an  institution  that 
we  are  commemorating.  More  than  a  century  and  a  half 
ago  God  planted  his  vineyard  on  this  Hill.  Generation 
after  generation  has  passed  away  yet  notwithstanding  the 
changes  ol  years  and  despite  the  ravages  of  death  the  light 
on  this  Zion's  Hill  has  been  steadily  burning,  revealing  the 
cross  pointing  heavenward  and  proclaiming  that  Jesus 
Christ  died  to  save  sinners.  And  how  the  Lord  has  watered 
this  vineyard  and  nurtured  and  blessed  it ;  what  precious 
fruit  the  vines  have  born  and  what  rich  vintage  the  Lord 
has  gathered  from  time  to  time  to  himself. 

But  I  must  stop.  It  is  not  my  province  to  lead  you 
into  this  vineyard  so  full  of  historic  interest — that  field  has 
been  assigned  to  others. 

We  have  with  us  those,  who,  in  the  years  gone  by,  have 
had  charge  of  this  vineyard,  labored  in  it  and  watered  it 
with  their  prayers,  and  perhaps  their  tears.  Tender  mem- 
ories still  cling  about  their  persons  and  with  the  feelings 
of  affection  and  esteem  strengthened  by  absence,  on 
behalf  of  the  flock  they  used  to  feed,  I  am  to  express  to 
them  the  intense  satisfaction  and  pleasure  it  gives  their  old 
congregation  to  again  have  them  in  their  midst. 

To  them  and  to  all  those  who  have  been  identified  in  the 
past  with  The  Falling  Spring  Church  and  are  now  with  us, 
I  extend  a  most  cordial  welcome.  It  is  earnestly  hoped  that 
the  years  intervening  since  they  left  us  will  be  blotted  out 
and  they  will  feel  as  though  they  were  one  of  us  again. 

We  trust  that  these  anniversary  exercises  may  increase 
our  interest  in  and  devotion  to  this  dear  old  church,  and 
quicken  our  zeal  and  love  for  the  Lord  who  not  only  planted 
this  vineyard  but  has  continued  it  and  blessed  it  so  richly. 


HISTORICAL  SERMON. 


DEUT.  xxxn.  7,  9.  "Remember  thedays  of  old,  consider  the 
years  of  many  generations  :  ask  thy  father,  and  he  will 
shew  thee ;  thy  elders,  and  they  will  tell  thee.  For  the 
Lord's  portion  is  his  people;  Jacob  is  the  lot  (cord)  of 
his  inheritance." 

JOB  vin.  8-10.  Inquire,  I  pray  thee,  of  the  former  age, 
and  prepare  thyself  to  the  search  of  their  fathers:  (for  we 
are  but  of  yesterday,)  shall  not  they  teach. 

We  turn  to-day  to  front  the  Past,  to  look  into  a  section  of 
it  which,  for  us  as  a  congregation,  has  great  attraction  and 
significance.  It  would  go  ill  with  us,  and  with  the  whole 
church  as  well,  were  we  shut  away  from  the  past,  from  God's 
great  past,  august,  majestic  as  it  is,  and  with  the  white  of 
the  eternities  upon  it. 

Men  think  of  it  as  perished  utterly  or  as  dim  with  the 
dust  of  the  ages  so  that  it  cannot  be  seen,  or  as  a  buried 
thing  with  no  possible  resurrection. 

But  nothing  is  more  real.  Only  it  has  register,  and  chron- 
icle. Only  it  holds  the  lamps  that  do  not  go  out,  and  the 
springs  whose  waters  fail  not.  The  present,  to  which  we  so 
strangely  cling,  and  in  which  we  think  we  live,  is  nought 
to  the  past,  for  what  is  it  but  the  merest  point,  an 
unseen  mystic  pivot  on  which  things  revolve  and  by  which 
they  are  turned  over  to  the  all  engulfing  past.  What  we 
think  we  have  lost  we  shall  find  in  it.  And  when  we  are  in 
search  of  the  realities,  when  we  would  know  God,  and  find 
the  mystic  cross,  and  learn  what  is  meant  by  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  or  when  we  would  see  the  cloven  tongues 
of  fire,  we  must  needs  go  back  into  God's  great  Past.  It  only 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  37 

is  historic :  and  not  this  alone  but  prophetic  too,  showing 
us  the  types  and  hints  of  that  which  is  still  to  be. 

We  are  here  therefore  to  look  into  it,  to  listen  to  it.  We 
are  here  to  "ask  of  days  that  are  past,"  to  learn  what  we 
may  of  the  Beginnings  of  our  life  and  experiences  as  a 
church. 

The  history  of  our  church  is  so  woven  with  the  history  of 
our  town  that  to  give  the  one  we  must,  to  some  extent,  give 
also  the  other.  In  the  year  1736  the  region  lying  west  of 
the  Susquehanna  was  purchased  of  the  Indians.  As  early 
indeed  as  1682  grants  had  been  made  by  Win.  Penn  to  parties 
in  England,  Ireland  and  Scotland,  and  in  the  following 
century  numbers  of  these  came  over  and  settled  in  this  region 
before  the  actual  purchase  of  the  land.  Among  them  were 
four  brothers  by  the  name  of  Chambers  who  established 
themselves  at  Fishing  Creek  on  the  Susquehanna,  in  what 
is  now  Dauphin  County,  about  1726—7.  They  took  up  a 
large  tract  of  land  and  built  a  mill.  The  Indians  who  were 
living  in  what  is  now  the  Cumberland  Valley  traded  freely 
with  them.  Having  learned  from  the  Indians  of  the  fer- 
tility and  beauty  of  the  particular  section  where  our  town 
now  stands,  two  of  the  brothers,  Benjamin  and  Joseph, 
came  here ;  the  latter  returned  presently  to  Fishing  Creek, 
Benjamin  remaining  permanently.  This  was  in  the  year 
1730.  Thos.  Blunston,  the  agent  of  the  "Proprietaries," 
gave  to  Benj.  Chambers  license  to  take  up  four  hundred 
acres.  He  put  up  a  log  house  near  the  spot  where  we  now 
are,  and  gave  the  name  of  Falling  Spring  to  the  settlement, 
so-called  because  here  the  brook  which  now  goes  by  that 
name  lalls  into  the  creek.  Buildings  began  to  multiply, 
and  in  1764  a  town  was  laid  out  and  named  Chambersburg. 

The  settlers  who  had  located  along  the  waters  of  the 
Falling  Spring  were  almost  all  Presbyterians.  They  were, 
therefore,  not  contented  to  remain  long  without  the  means 


38  THE   FALLING   SPRING   • 

of  grace,  and  the  established  ordinances  of  the  church. 
They  were  chiefly  Scotch-Irish,  and  they  showed  the  pecu- 
liar traits  of  that  remarkable  race,  integrity,  tenacity  of  pur- 
pose, high  courage,  intelligence,  respect  for  law,  self-respect, 
and  above  all  a  firm  attachment  to  what  they  took  to  be  the 
truth  of  God  and  the  order  of  his  house.  With  them  the 
church  was  first,  as  you  may  suppose. 

And  therefore  Col.  Chambers  very  early  set  apart  for 
church  purposes,  for  a  burial  place,  and  lor  a  school  house, 
the  acres  here  which  are  now  the  property  of  our  congre- 
gation. In  1739,  in  the  same  year  in  which  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Caven,  the  first  pastor,  was  installed,  there  was  put  up  a  small 
log  building  which  served  for  school  purposes  and  for  public 
worship.  It  was  a  plain  structure,  of  course,  with  a  door  in 
the  eastern  side,  and  one  in  the  southern.  It  was  lighted, 
we  are  told,  by  long  narrow  windows  the  width  of  two  small 
panes  of  glass,  and  reaching  from  one  end  of  the  building 
to  the  other.  When  the  congregations  were  large  the  over- 
flow was  accommodated  in  a  saw-mill  which  stood  on  what 
is  now  known  as  the  island,  wrhere  the  Falling  Spring  enters 
the  creek.  This  log  building  remained  until  about  the 
year  1767,  when  one  larger  and  of  better  material  was  put 
up.  It  was  seventy  feet  long  by  thirty-five  wide,  and  was 
replaced  in  1803  by  this  stone  building  in  which  we  worship 
now.  This,  as  some  of  you  will  remember,  had  a  small 
porch  in  front.  During  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Jos. 
Clark  changes  were  made  in  the  building.  The  porch  dis- 
appeared, the  vestibule  was  made  part  of  the  audience  room, 
and  the  two  towers  were  erected.  Thus  it  remained  until 
the  year  1868  when,  finding  ourselves  again  in  want  of  roomr 
and  wishing  to  improve  still  more  the  appearance  of  the 
house,  the  vestibule  was  removed,  together,  of  course,  with 
the  small  gallery  at  the  eastern  end.  The  front  door  was 
converted  into  a  window,  and  the  entrance  was  by  the 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  39 

towers.  The  ceiling  was  made  new.  The  present  hand- 
some pulpit  and  communion  table — the  gifts  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  T.  B.  Kennedy — were  placed  in  the  church,  the  stained 
glass  was  put  in  the  windows,  and  the  building  took  on  the 
appearance  which  it  has  now.  In  1876  the  old  stone  wall 
which  ran  along  the  eastern  edge  of  our  church  grounds 
was  replaced  by  the  present  iron  railing.  This  improve- 
ment, which  is  largely  due  to  the  energy  of  honorable 
women  of  the  church,  was  made  at  a  cost  of  about  1080 
dollars.  The  stone  steps  at  the  gate  were  the  gift  of  Miss 
Susan  Chambers. 

In  1768,  just  one  year  after  the  erection  of  the  second 
building  which, — as  has  been  stated — took  the  place  in  1767 
of  the  original  log  building,  Col.  Benj.  Chambers  conveyed 
to  the  trustees  these  valuable  and  beautiful  grounds.  The 
deed  runs  thus  : 

"DEED  for  ground  of  Falling  Spring  Church,  dated  Jan- 
uary i,  -1768  from  Benj.  Chambers,  and  Jane  his  wife,  to 
Patrick  Vance,  Matthew  Wilson,  Edward  Cook,  Robt.  Pat- 
terson, Wm.  Lindsay,  Jr.,  Wm.  Goss,  and  Wm.  Brotherton, 
in  trust  for  the  Presbyterian  Congregation  of  Falling  Spring 
now  professing  and  adhering  to,  and  that  shall  hereafter  ad- 
here to  and  profess  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith,  and 
the  mode  of  Church  Government  therein  contained  ;  wit- 
nesseth  that  the  said  B.  Chambers,  and  Jane  his  wite,  as  well 
for  their  regard  to  the  true  religion  of  the  blessed  Redeemer 
Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  and  for  and  in  consideration  ot 
their  regard  to  the  interest  and  advantage  of  said  congrega- 
tion, and  in  consideration  of  the  rents,  convey  to  the  trus- 
tees yielding  and  paying  therefore  and  thereout  unto  the 
said  B.  Chambers,  his  heirs  or  assigns,  at  the  said  town  ot 
Chambersburg  on  the  first  day  of  June  next  first  after  this 
dates,  the  yearly  rent  or  consideration  of  one  Rose,  if  re- 
quired." 


'4O  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

This  was*  duly  attended  to,  as  we  learn,  a  rose  being  every 
year  formally  brought  to  Col.  Chambers. 


II. 


I  come  now  to  speak  ot  the  organization  of  our  church 
and  to  give  such  account  as  I  can  from  the  meagre  material 
at  command. 

It  is  not  possible  to  fix  the  date  of  its  origin.  The  earlier 
minutes  of  the  Donegal  Presbytery,  under  whose  care  all 
the  Presbyterians  in  the  Valley  originally  were,  make  no 
record  of  the  planting  of  any  of  the  first  churches.  The 
calls  given,  and  the  pastoral  relations  constituted  are  re- 
corded, but  not  the  organization  of  the  churches.  We 
cannot  therefore  from  any  sources  of  information  now  open 
to  us  make  sure  of  these  distant  dates. 

The  earliest  reference  which  I  have  found  in  the  minutes 
ot  Presbytery  to  our  people  in  this  part  of  the  valley  is  in 
1735,  and  the  record  is  : 

"April  4th,  a  supplication  from  the  settlement  over  the 
river  desiring  supplies.  The  Presbytery  appoints  Mr.  Alex- 
ander Craighead  to  supply  said  people  the  next  two  ensuing 
Sabbaths.  Mr.  Thompson  also  is  appointed  to  supply  at 
least  two  Sabbaths  before  the  next  meeting  of  Presbytery." 

June  10,  1735.  " Mr.  Craighead  and  Thompson  have 
supplied  the  people  over  the  river  as  appointed."  Whether 
this  phrase,  "the  people  over  the  river,"  applies  to  the 
Presbyterians  of  this  section,  or  to  those  only  who  lived  in 
what  is  now  Cumberland  County,  I  cannot  determine.  The 
presumption  is  that  it  includes  them  all. 

The  next  reference  in  the  Minutes  to  the  people  of  this 
region  is  September  2d,  1736.  "It  being  represented  by 
Thos.  Brown  from  Conococheague  that  Mr.  Williams 
lately  from  England,  who  was  rejected  by  our  Presbytery,  is 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  41, 

likely  to  do  harm  to  our  interests  by  inveigling  the  people, 
Mr.  Anderson  is  ordered  to  write  to  said  people,  and  to 
dissuade  them  from  entertaining  him  as  a  minister  aVnong 
them." 

This  shows  that  as  early  as  1736  and  earlier  indeed  there 
must  have  been  an  organization  here. 

This  Mr.  Williams  appears  to  have  had  no  proper  church 
relations,  but  to  have  been  an  adventurer  whom  our  people, 
being  much  in  need  of  supplies,  engaged  to  preach  to  them. 
It  would  seem  that  the  kindly  remonstrance  ol  the  Presby- 
tery had  its  eifect,  and  they  soon  broke  with  Mr.  Williams. 
At  the  same  meeting,  the  Presbytery  ordered  a  Mr.  Golston 
who  was  to  supply  at  Conodoguinet  to  preach  here  also. 
This  was  in  September  1736.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
at  this  time  the  name  Conococheague,  as  it  appears  in  the 
Minutes,  included  the  churches  of  Chambersburg,  Green- 
castle,  Mercersburg,  London  and  the  region  round  about. 

I  cannot  determine  precisely  the  year  in  which  our  church 
was  first  known  by  its  present  name.  Probably  it  was  in 
1738  or  39,  when — as  we  shall  see — the  people,  without  the 
sanction  of  Presbytery,  divided  the  congregation  into  East 
and  West  Conococheague — the  creek  being  the  line  of 
division.  So  that  East  Conococheague  Church  was  made 
up  of  Falling  Spring  and  Greencastle.  There  would  seem 
to  have  been  some  difficulty  before  this  time  in  regard  to 
the  boundary  lines  between  our  own  congregation  and  other 
churches.  For  on  August  3ist,  1738  the  record  reads  uBenj. 
Chambers  moved  to  the  Presbytery  that  the  bounds  be  fixed 
between  Hopewell — i.  e.,  Big  Spring  as  now  called — and 
upper  Pennsboro,  i.  <?.,  Carlisle — and  that  commissioners  be 
appointed  from  both  places  to  attend  at  our  next  in  order 
to  a  determination  of  the  matter."  And  at  the  next  meet- 
ing in  October  28th,  1838  the  record  is : 

"Robert  Henry,  a  commissioner  from  Hopewell,  complains 


42  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

that  the  people  of  Falling  Spring  are  about  to  encroach  on 
Hopewell  church.  Ordered,  that  representatives  from  both 
attend  our  next,  that  the  Presbytery  may  judge  of  said  com- 
plaint." Mr.  Craighead  was  afterwards  appointed  to  visit 
these  congregations  and  see  what  could  be  done. 

It  seems  to  me  therefore  perfectly  fair  to  infer  trom  all 
this  history,  and  from  the  well-known  attachment  of  these 
earliest  settlers  to  their  own  church,  and  to  its  peculiar  form 
of  worship,  also  trom  the  reference  to  the  preaching  of  Mr. 
Williams  in  1736,  from  the  dispute  as  to  the  boundaries  of 
Falling  Spring  and  Big  Spring  which  Col.  Chambers  re- 
ferred to  Presbytery  in  1738 — from  all  this  it  seems  a  fair 
inference  that  as  early  at  least  as  1/34  or  1735  there  was  an 
organized  congregation  here.  And  we  may,  I  think,  take 
1734  as  the  year  of  the  birth  of  this  church. 

"At  a  meeting  of  Presbytery  held  at  Pequa,  Lancaster 
County,  October  6,  1737,  a  young  licentiate  from  the  church 
of  Ireland,  Mr.  Samuel  Caven,  appeared  before  the  Pres- 
bytery, and  having  produced  sufficient  testimonials  and 
preached  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Presbytery,  was  received 
under  its  care."  About  a  month  later  Mr.  Samuel  Thomp- 
son, also  from  Ireland,  was  received.  It  was  "ordered  that 
Mr.  Thompson  supply  at  Pennsboro,  and  Mr.  Caven  at 
Conococheague  alternate  months  until  our  next."  At  the 
spring  meeting,  April  8th,  1738,  held  at  Donegal,  these 
young  men  reported  that  they  had  given  the  supplies. 
Pennsboro  asked  for  the  moderation  of  a  call  for  Mr.  Thomp- 
son ;  and  Mr.  Caven  was  sent  again  to  supply  Conoco- 
cheague. 

Of  a  meeting  held  at  the  Forks  of  Brandywine  in  June  of 
the  same  year,  1738,  the  record  reads  thus  :  "Two  supplica- 
tions were  presented  to  Presbytery  by  the  people  of  Cono- 
cocheague, viz:  one  by  Benj.  Chambers,  desiring-  that  a 
minister  be  appointed  to  moderate  a  call  for  Mr.  Caven  ; 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  43 

the  other  a  supplication  from  Thos.  Brown,  desiring  that  a 
minister  be  sent  to  baptize  children  and  to  inspect  the  dis- 
orders of  the  congregation.  Presbytery  spent  a  pretty  deal 
of  time  consulting  as  to  these  matters,  and  after  all  ordered 
Mr.  Black  to  go  upon  this  expedition  about  the  beginning 
of  August,  and  do  what  he  can  to  answer  the  end  of  both 
supplications."  Mr.  Black  fulfilled  his  appointment  and 
this  is  the  record  on  the  books  of  Presbytery : 

"August  31,  1738,  Hanover.  The  affairs  of  Conococheague 
resumed,  and  several  papers  being  read,  and  a  pretty  deal 
said  by  several  persons  on  the  affair,  at  last  the  Presbytery 
understanding  that  the  people  of  the  East  and  West  side  of 
the  creek  have  agreed  among  themselves  to  divide  into  two 
societies,  and  that  those  on  the  East  side  have  presented  for 
Mr.  Caven  to  be  their  minister,  the  Presbytery  taking  these 
things  into  consideration  do,  in  the  first  place,  considering 
the  circumstances,  approve  of  the  division,  though  we  think 
they  have  acted  somewhat  precipitately  in  separating  with- 
out consent  of  Presbytery,  and  have  likewise  presented  the 
call  of  the  East  side  to  Mr.  Caven,  which  he  has  taken  under 
consideration  till  our  next."  In  the  meantime  he  has  to  sup- 
ply both  East  and  West  Conococheague. 

At  the  meeting  in  October  Mr.  Caven  asked  to  be  excused 
until  the  next  meeting  from  making  answer  to  the  call. 
Presbytery  met  again  in  December  at  Paxton,  when  he 
delivered  a  homily  on  Matthew  v.  8,  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,"  etc.  At  this  meeting  the  people  of  Falling  Spring 
petitioned  that  Mr.  Caven  may  be  forwarded  in  his  trials  for 
ordination,  and  that  they  might  have  his  answer  to  their 
call,  and  he  was  allowed  until  next  meeting  to  make  answer. 

In  April  1739  Presbyter)  met,  when  Mr.  Caven  delivered 
a  Lecture  on  Psalm  133:1,  "Behold  how  good  and  how  pleas- 
ant it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity"  which  was 
approved.  He  also  read  a  discourse  upon  the  perspicuity 


44  THE  FALLING  SPRING 

of  the  Scripture  which  was  approved.  Presbytery  then 
requiring  his  answer  to  the  call  from  Falling  Spring  he 
accepted  it. 

At  a  meeting  in  June  he  opened  the  sessions  with  an  ex- 
ercise on  Romans  viii.  8,  "So  then  they  that  are  in  the 
flesh  cannot  please  God"  "according  to  appointment,  which 
is  approved  as  part  of  trial."  He  was  appointed  to  deliver 
at  next  meeting  a  Popular  Sermon  on  Heb.  xii.  14,  "Follow 
peace  with  all  men"  etc.,  which  he  did  September  4,  1739 
at  the  meeting  at  Chestnut  Level. 

At  the  meeting  October  10,  1739  a  Committee  consisting 
of  Messrs.  Anderson,  Boyd,  and  Craighead  was  appointed  to 
ordain  and  install  Messrs.  Caven  and  Thompson.  The 
Committee  met  at  Silver  Spring,  i.  e,,  Lower  Pennsboro, 
November  i4th,  and  ordained  and  installed  Mr.  Thompson. 
On  the  1 6th  they  met  here.  The  Committee  consisted  of 
Messrs.  Anderson,  Boyd,  Craighead  and  Sam'l.  Thompson 
just  ordained.  On  their  meeting  at  the  church,  "the  Rev. 
Mr.  Boyd  having  published  an  edict  at  the  door  in  the  hear- 
ing of  both  parties,  Thos.  Brown  appeared  and  declared 
that  if  said  societies  are  willing  to  have  Mr.  Caven  ordained 
among  them  he  would  make  no  objection  against  it.  Mr. 
Anderson  then  preached  from  i  Tim.  VL.  6  "But  thou,  O 
man  of  God,  flee  these  things,"  etc,  and  presided  in  the  ordina- 
tion of  Mr.  Caven.  He  was  also  installed  as  pastor  of  this 
church,  thus  becoming  the  first  pastor  of  the  East  Conoco- 
cheague  charges  i.  e.,  of  Falling  Spring  and  Greencastle, 
November  i6th,  1739. 

There  is  no  record  of  the  parts  taken  by  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  Committee  in  these  services.  "It  was  agreed  at 
this  meeting  that  the  other  house  of  worship  should  be 
at  Falling  Spring." 

We  have  said  that  Mr.  Caven  was  the  first  pastor  of  our 
church.  The  author  of  the  book  called  "The  Churches  of 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  45 

the  Valley,"  in  view  of  the  following  which  appears  in  the 
Minutes  of  Presbytery,  concludes  that  Mr.  Samuel  Thompson 
must  have  preceded  him  here.  This-is  the  record :  "Richard 
O.  Cohen,  Jos.  Armstrong,  Benj.  Chambers,  and  Patrick 
Jack,  have  publicly  engaged  to  pay  Mr.  Sam'l.  Thompson 
the  sum  of  £i  55  at  or  before  next  meeting  of  Presby- 
tery as  being  the  whole  of  arrears  due  him  by  the  people  at 
Conococheague."  It  has  been  inferred  from  this  that  Mr. 
Thompson  was  pastor  before  Mr.  Caven.  But  the  Minutes 
make  no  mention  of  this.  As  stated  already  Mr.  Thompson 
and  Mr.  Caven  were  both  appointed  to  supply  alternately  at 
Pennsboro  and  Conococheague,  and  these  arrears  were  due 
to  him,  no  doubt,  as  supply. 

When  Mr.  Caven's  settlement  had  been  agreed  upon,  the 
Commissioner,  Jas.  Lindsay,  was  asked  by  Presbytery  what 
provision  they  had  made  for  his  sustenance  among  them. 
He  said  that  the  subscription  "amounted  to  £^6  which 
they  will  increase,  and  what  can  be  had  over  and  above  shall 
be  allowed  him,  and  that  they  will  do  what  they  can  to  pro- 
cure him  a  plantation  to  live  upon."  He  stated  also  that 
the  people  had  agreed  about  the  bounds  between  them  and 
the  West  side  of  Conococheague. 

Mr.  Caven  remained  pastor  until  July  2,  1741  when  he 
resigned. 

He  was  called  then  to  Goodwill,  Orange  County,  N.  Y., 
and,  after  laboring  there  for  some  time,  he  came  back  to  this 
region.  I  cannot  learn  whether  he  was  settled  as  pastor  of 
Goodwill  or  was  siiriply  what  we  now  call  a  stated  supply. 
On  returning  to  this  section  he  seems  to  have  itinerated  for 
a  time,  to  have  then  gone  to  Virginia,  and  finally  to  have 
preached  at  Silver  Spring  in  Cumberland  county,  where  he 
died  and  was  buried  November  2,  1750,  at  the  age  of  44. 

Our  church  seems  to  have  made  no  attempts  for  a  long 
time  to  secure  a  pastor  after  Mr.  Caven  left  it.  It  had  had, 


46  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

however,  a  fair  measure  of  siipplies.  A  great  misfortune 
befell  the  Presbytery  many  years  ago  in  the  loss  of  a  volume 
of  its  Minutes,  covering  the  period  from  October  1750-1759. 
It  was  loaned  by  the  Stated  Clerk  to  a  minister  in  the  South 
before  the  war,  and  has  never  been  returned.  Of  course  we 
can  learn  nothing  of  our  church  during  those  nine  years. 

Referring  to  the  Minutes  again  we  find  that  it  wras  sup- 
plied from  1741—1750  by  Presbytery,  and  by  some  ministers 
who  came  to  itinerate  within  its  bounds  Messrs.  Craighead, 
Thompson,  McDowell,  Sankey,  Black  and  Caven,  are  men- 
tioned as  having  supplied  our  congregation.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  Mr.  Caven  gave  up  the  charge  in  1741,  and 
lived  until  1750.  The  next  reference  to  our  church  appears 
in  the  Minutes  of  a  meeting  held  at  Upper  Marsh  Creek, 
August  12,  1760.  "Supplication  for  supply  was  brought  in 
from  East  Conococheague,  Falling  Spring,  West  Conoco- 
cheague,  etc.  Accordingly  Mr.  Williamson  is  appointed  to 
preach  at  Falling  Spring.  In  October  Mr.  Thompson  is 
appointed  to  preach." 

In  1761,  April  28,  supplications  came  from  Falling  Spring 
for  supplies,  and  Messrs.  Duffield  and  Beard  are  sent  So  in 
1762,  in  April  and  November,  supplications  both  written 
and  verbal  came  from  our  church.  In  1763  a  Mr.  McGaw 
was  sent  to  preach.  In  1764  a  Mr.  Slemmons  was  appointed 
our  supply.  In  1766  came  a  request  to  Presbytery  for  sup- 
plies from  Rocky  Spring  and  Falling  Spring  and  for  a 
minister  to  ordain  elders  sometime  before  the  administration 
of  the  Lord's  Supper.  In  October  i4tK,  is  another  request 
for  supplies,  and  I  find  no  other  reference  to  our  church 
until  the  year  1771.  By  this  I  mean  that  the  name  of  Fall- 
ing Spring  does  not  appear  in  the  list  of  churches  seeking 
supplies.  The  name  of  East  Conococheague  frequently  ap- 
pears, and  it  may  be  that  we  come  in  with  Greencastle  under 
that  name. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  47 

The  church  was  thus  supplied  in  their  irregular  way  until 
the  year  1769  when  the  Rev.  Jas.  Long  or  Lang  took  charge 
of  these  two  congregations.  The  following  minute  appears 
in  the  record  ol  the  meeting  of  Presbytery  June  20,  1764. 
"Mr.  Jas.  Long  a  licensed  candidate  from  the  2d  Presbytery 
of  Philadelphia  asked  to  be  taken  under  the  care  of  this 
Presbytery.  His  credentials  from  the  2d  Presbytery  read 
and  approved,  and  upon  his  promised  subjection  to  us  in  the 
Lord,  the  Presbytery  cheerfully  receive  him  under  our  care, 
and  appoint  him  to  open  our  next  Presbytery."  This  he  did 
October  23d  with  a  sermon  from  2  Cor.  v.  21,  "He  hath 
made  Him  to  be  sin  for  us"  etc.  The  next  year  he  was  in- 
vited by  the  churches  of  York  and  Shrewsbury  to  supply 
them  for  one  year,  which  he  agreeded  to  do,  and  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Presbytery  as  their  supply  until  the  close  of  the 
Presbyterial  year  in  April  1767. 

In  1765  the  Donegal  Presbytery  had  been  divided,  and 
that  of  Carlisle  constituted  for  a  part  of  it.  This  arrange- 
ment lasted  but  a  year.  By  the  act  of  Synod  in  1786  the 
old  Donegal  was  again  divided  into  the  Presbyteries  of 
Baltimore  and  Carlisle.  The  church  was  much  disturbed 
by  these  new  arrangements,  and  feeling  ran  very  high.  Mr. 
Lang  seems  to  have  been  dissatisfied,  and  to  have  either 
labored  little  in  this  region,  or  to  have  gone,  for  a  time, 
elsewhere.  The  only  reference  to  him  from  1767-69  is  to 
a  sermon  preached  by  him  here,  July  1768,  on  Gal.  n.  21, 
"If  righteousness  come  by  the  Law  then  Christ  is  dead  in 
vain."  In  the  Minute  of  1769  we  have  this,  "Rev.  Jas. 
Lang  being  present  declared  his  desire  to  be  received  as  a 
member  of  this .  Presbytery,  according  to  the  terms  granted 
by  Synod  at  the  last  meeting,  and  having  renounced 
his  declinature,  as  specified  in  the  Synod's  Minutes, 
respecting  that  affair  as  far  as  he  was  concerned  in  it, 
he  is  admitted  as  a  member.-  I  find  no  record  of 


48  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

his  call  to  our  church,  or  of  his  installation  as  pastor. 
But  the  statement  is  made  by  one  or  two  authors  in  writing 
up  this  ancient  history,  that  he  was  installed  pastor  of 
East  Conococheague  and  Falling  Spring,  thus  dividing  his 
time  between  Greencastle  and  us,  he  living  in  Greencastle. 
In  1770  the  record  is,  that  Mr.  Lang  had  not  fulfilled  his 
appointments  at  the  last  Spring  meeting,  and  regretting  that 
the  people  had  been  disappointed,  he  declares  his  resolution 
to  be  more  punctual  for  the  future.  In  April  1771  he  was 
chosen  Moderator  for  the  year.  The  record  of  a  meeting 
held  in  August  in  Tuscarora,  Virginia,  is  "Mr.  Lang  is 
now  come,  and  takes  his  seat  as  Moderator.  His  Elder  is 
Mr.  William  Cross."  I  quote  this  because  it  is  the  first 
reference  to  the  presence  in  Presbytery  of  an  Elder  of  his. 
Whether  he  came  from  Greencastle  or  from  this  church  is  not 
stated.  It  may  be  noted,  as  an  item  of  interest  here,  that 
Presbytery  met  in  our  church  June,  1776,  just  one  month 
previous  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Mr.  Lang  continued  to  serve  the  East  Conococheague 
charge  until  1793.  In  the  Minutes  of  Presbytery,  session 
at  Lower  Marsh  Creek,  October,  1792,  in  this  record,  "A 
supplication  was  presented  by  the  united  congregations  of 
Falling  Spring  and  East  Conococheague  requesting  that 
Mr.  Speer  be  appointed  for  six  months  statedly  to  supply 
them,  in  rotation  with  their  pastor.  Mr.  Lang  declares 
his  hearty  consent  to  this."  Accordingly  when  supplies 
were  appointed  we  read,  "Mr.  Speer  to  supply  Mr.  Lang's 
Congregation  three  months  between  this  and  next  spring 
meeting."  It  is  of  interest  to  observe,  in  passing,  that  at 
this  meeting  the  name  of  David  Denny  first  appears,  he 
having  been  appointed  to  give  supplies  in  different  parts  of 
the  Presbytery.  While  Mr.  Speer  was  considering  this  in- 
vitatton  to  labor  for  six  montbs  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Lang,  a  meeting  of  Presbytery  was  held  and  the  following 
is  part  of  its  record. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  49 

i 

"Carlisle,  April,  1794,  an  instrument  in  writing  from 
the  congregation  of  Falling  Spring  was  laid  before  Presby- 
tery, which  is  as  follows :  '  'At  a  meeting  of  the  congrega- 
tion held  at  the  Court  House  in  Chambersburg  on  April, 
7,  1794,  pursuant  to  notice  from  the  pulpit,  it  was 
agreed  that  the  congregation,  taking  into  consideration  the 
proposed  call  to  Mr.  Speer,  and  viewing  their  present  situ- 
ation as  more  favorable  than  when  said  call  was  signed,  and 
also  having  good  assurance  of  their  increasing  ability,  have 
unanimously  resolved  to  advance  the  sum  promised  in  said 
call  to  the  sum  of  of  175  pounds.  Resolved,  that  Benjamin 
Chambers  and  Andrew  Dunlop  be  appointed  to  attend  on 
Presbytery  as  Commissioners  in  the  prosecution  of  said  call. 

JOHN  ScoTT,  President. 

Attest:  WM.  BROWN,  Secretary.'  " 

.  Mr.  Speer  accepted  the  call  at  this  meeting,  He  had 
already  been  called  to  Edisto  Island,  South  Carolina,  and  to 
Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  in  1793. 

In  October  Presbytery  met  in  our  church  in  this  place, 
heard  his  trial  sermons  in  which  "  he  acquitted  himself  to 
their  satisfaction."  He  was  then  ordained  and  installed 
pastor.  The  sermon  on  this  occasion  was  by  a  Mr.  Snod- 
grass  from  2  Thess.  in :i,  "Brethren,  pray  tor  us,  that  the 
word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  course,  and  be  glorified." 
Rev.  Mr.  McPherrin  of  Hagerstown  presided,  and  gave  the 
charge  to  pastor  and  people.  Mr.  Speer  was  a  graduate  of 
Dickenson  College,  studying  there  under  Dr.  Nesbit,  was 
taken  under  care  of  Presbytery  April,  1790,  was  licensed  June 
22,  1791,  and  in  October  was  ordained  and  settled  here.  He 
continued  to  serve  the  church  until  1797,  when,  at  his  re- 
quest the  relation  was  dissolved.*  Presbytery  supplied 

*  EXTRACT  FROM  THE  MINUTES  or  PRESBYTERY  APRIL,  12, 1797. — "Mr  Speer  ap- 
plied for  leave  to  resign  his  pastoral  charge  ef  Falling  Spring,  and  Presbytery 
after  hearing  his  reasons,  and  the  representation  of  Messrs.  John  Scott,  John 


5O  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

the  church  until  1800  when  it  secured  the  services  of  Mr. 
David  Denny.  The  minute  in  his  case  reads  thus:  "Octo- 
ber, 1790,  Session  at  Falling  Spring. 

"Messrs.  McLane,  Boydand  Denny  appeared  and  proposed 
themselves  to  be  taken  under  care  of  Presbytery  on  trials  for 
the  Gospel  ministry.  Presbytery  found  that  they  had  ob- 
tained a  regular  college  education  ;  had  spent  some  time  in 
study  of  divinity;  were  of  unblemished  moral  character  ; 
and,  having  conversed  with  them  to  a  considerable  length 
with  regard  to  their  views,  and  their  experience  of  religion 
on  their  own  souls;  agreed  to  take  them  on  trial." 

Mr.  Denny  was  licensed  October  6th,  1791,  at  the  meet- 
ing at  Rocky  Spring.  In  April,  1793,  ne  was  called  to 
Path  Valley,  and  was  ordained  and  installed  there  April, 
1794.  At  that  meeting  Mr.  Speer  accepted  the  call  to  our 
church.  In  October,  1800,  Mr.  Denny  was  called  to  be 
pastor  of  Falling  Spring  and  was  installed  on  the  last 
Monday  of  November.  In  the  service  Dr.  King  presided, 
Dr.  Cooper  preached,  and  Mr.  Francis  Herron  (later  Dr. 
Herron  of  the  First  Church,  Pittsburg)  gave  the  charges. 
Mr.  Denny  continued  pastor  until  1838,  thus  making  the 
long  pastorate  of  37  years.  Dr.  Wing  in  his  sermon  says 
of  him,  "he  was  manly  and  conservative,  candid  and  sin- 
cere, always  found  at  the  post  of  duty,  and  beloved  to  the 
last  by  his  grateful  people."  The  Session  during  his 
pastorate  consisted  of  John  King,  David  L/ytle,  Moses  Kirk- 
patrick,  W.  S.  Davis,  Robert  McCracken,  Samuel  Blood, 
Samuel  Cooper,  Samuel  McElroy,  Robert  Sharpe.  I  have 
not  found  any  list  of  trustees. 

In  1878,  Tuesday,  May  28,  a  two-storied  brick  building 

Halliday,  John  Crawford,  and  Wm.  Brotherton,  Commissioners  from  said  con- 
gregation, agreed  to  dismiss  him,  and  Mr.  Speer  is  hereby  dismissed." 

LIST  OF  COMMUNICANTS  IN  JOHN  CRAWFORDS  DISTRICT  IN  REV.  MR. 
SPEER'S  CONGREGATION,  OCTOBER  16,  1795.— John  Crawford,  Ann  Crawford,  Ed- 
ward Crawford,  Elizabeth  Crawford.  Alex.  McKean,  Elizabeth  McKean,  Effle 
Hill,  John  Beard,  Martha  Beard,  David  Morehead,  Martha  Morehead,  James 
McWilliams,  Mary  McWilliams,  John  McWilliams. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  51 

which  had  long  been  used  for  Sabbath  School  purposes,  and 
for  a  Lecture  room,  gave  place  to  the  stone  chapel  which 
was  built  in  the  same  year  and  at  a  cost  of  $9,000. 

There  was  for  many  years  a  mission  school  made  up  of 
the  colored  people  of  the  town  which  met  in  the  basement 
of  the  old  Lecture  room.  It  was  under  the  care  largely  of 
Mr.  W.  G.  Reed,  and  prospered  to  a  remarkable  degree. 
The  teachers  were  chiefly  from  our  own  church,  though  a 
number  came  from  the  other  congregations  of  the  town. 
Some  time  after  the  old  building  had  been  torn  down,  the 
church  rented  the  basement  of  the  Bethel  church  which 
stands  at  the  western  end  of  Queen  street  on  the  Western 
Maryland  railroad,  and  the  school  met  there.  In  Decem- 
ber 21,  1890,  we  put  up  the  neat  frame  building  in  which  it 
is  taught  now  on  West  London  street. 

It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  we  have  with  us  to-day  the 
Central  Presbyterian  church  of  the  town,  and  it  will  be  in 
place  here  to  refer  to  its  origin. 

Finding  in  1868  that  we  needed  more  church  room  the 
question  arose  whether  we  should  enlarge  this  building  or 
colonize.  Many  were  opposed  to  making  any  great  change 
in  our  venerable  house  of  worship,  while  some  favored  it. 
These  brethren  who  did  so  sent  a  petition  to  Presbytery  for 
a  second  organization  which  was  granted.  On  the  i5th  of 
August  the  Session  gave  28  certficates  of  dismissal,  and  on 
the  same  day  (Saturday)  the  Committee  appointed  by 
Presbytery  arrived  and  the  church  was  organized.  The 
committee  was  composed  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thos.  Creigh,  Rev. 
W.  A.  West,  and  Elder  Craig  McLanahan. 

Messrs.  J.  C.  Austin  and  James  Reside  were  chosen 
Elders,  and  were  ordained  on  the  Sabbath,  Dr.  Creigh 
preaching  in  the  morning  and  Mr.  West  in  the  evening. 
Their  church  has  been  greatly  blessed  oi  God,  and  I  speak 
for  us  here  of  the  mother  church  when  I  say  that  we  wish 


52  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

it  well  with  all  our  heart,  and  that  we  ask  of  the  Saviour  for 
it  the  best  He  has  to  give. 

Thus  has  the  Lord  led  on  our  church  and  we  look  back 
now  over  the  chequered  way  with  gratitude.  For  a  cen- 
tury and  a  half  at  least  has  the  light  been  shining  on  this 
hill.  So  long  has  the  standard  for  the  truth  been  lifted  up 
here.  This  ancient  church  has  kept  the' faith  once  delivered 
to  the  saints.  It  has  so  happened — so  far  as  I  can  find — 
that  the  men  who  have  preached  to  it  and  watched  it  for 
God,  have  believed  the  doctrines  taught  in  the  Confession  of 
Faith.  I  do  not  think  that  this  church  and  Session  would 
tolerate  any  man  in  this  pulpit  who  would  preach  another 
Gospel  than  that  which  has  always  been  preached  here. 
"  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  stand  ye  in  the  ways  and  see ;  and 
ask  for  the  old  paths  where  is  the  good  way,  and  walk 
therein  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  soul."  Jer.  vi:  16, 

"Now  unto  Him  who  is  able  to  keep  you  from  falling 
and  to  present  you  faultless  before  the  presence  of  His  glory 
with  exceeding  joy ;  to  the  only  wise  God  our  Saviour  be 
glory  and  majesty,  dominion  and  power,  both  now  and 
ever."  Amen. 


THE  REV.  J.  G.  HIBBEN'S  PAPER. 


To  the  Congregation  of  the  Falling  Spring  Church: — 

This  is  the  season  which  by  common  consent  we  conse- 
crate to  memory.  The  pictures  of  the  present  with  their 
wealth  of  meaning,  the  richness  of  their  coloring,  the  inter- 
mingling of  light  and  shade,  their  subtle  suggestions  to  our 
hope,  and  to  our  love,  all  this  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  we 
are  laying  the  past  under  mighty  tribute  to  the  present. 

The  actual  is  thus  ever  idealized  by  the  after-glow  which 
streams  upon  it  from  the  fires  of  the  past.  Living  as  you 
do  at  the  close  of  this  century  of  light,  standing  in  the  fore- 
most files  of  time,  possessing  the  heritage  of  a  noble  history, 
both  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  this  becomes  not  only  a  time 
of  congratulation  and  thanksgiving  but  an  occasion  also 
replete  with  inspiration.  It  is  the  privilege  of  each  one  of 
you  to  exclaim  with  that  rare  German  poet : 

"My  inheritance,  how  wide  and  fair, 

Time  is  my  vast  seedfield;  of  Time  I'm  heir." 

That  I  have  had  a  part,  however  small,  in  your  history, 
I  have  always  regarded  as  a  privilege  and  honor.  And  our 
relation  as  pastor  and  people  has  a  special  significance  for 
me,  inasmuch  as  this  has  been  my  first,  and  always  will  be 
my  only  pastoral  charge.  It  is  to  me  personally  a  matter 
of  special  interest  that  I  was  ordained  in  this  church,  and 
inducted  into  the  pastoral  office  by  the  Presbytery,  of  which 
a  hundred  years  ago  my  great-great-grandfather,  Dr.  Cooper 
ot  the  Middle  Spring  Church,  was  a  life-long  member.  Thus 
I  am  united  to  you  by  ancestral  as  well  as  ecclesiastical  ties. 

53 


54  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

But  there  are  ties  far  stronger  than  friendship.  And  to  you 
with  whom  I  worked  in  a  common  cause  for  four  years,  I 
am  bound  with  cords  that  neither  time  nor  space  can  sever. 
Among  all  the  memories  of  this  Church,  the  most  grateful 
is  the  consciousness  that  I  have  friends  firm  and  true,  whose 
love  and  sympathetic  interest  I  cherish  ever  as  a  priceless 
possession.  When  I  think  of  you,  and  our  past  together, 
my  heart  is  warmed.  As  the  odor  of  a  flower  will  often 
make  vivid  and  real  some  far  away  pa=t,  so  now,  the  fra- 
grant flower  of  friendship  brings  to  me  with  its  rare  per- 
fume a  rush  of  thought  that  re-establishes  for  a  while  the 
days  that  are  gone,  and  recalls  with  an  old  time  distinctness 
the  scenes  endeared  by  a  thousand  strong  associations. 

"So  muse  I  of  old  times,  old  homes,  old  friends. 
Old  friends,  the  uniting  of  those  words  has  borne 
My  fancy  backward  to  the  gracious  past, 
The  generous  past,  when  all  was  possible, 
For  all  was  then  untried;  the  years  between 
Have  taught  some  sweet,  some'bitter  lessons;  none 
Wiser  than  this — to  spend  in  all  things  else, 
But  of  old  friends  to  be  most  miserly." 

Always,  and  at  a  time  of  reunion  especially,  do  we  miss 
the  many  whose  friendship  has  become  to  us  a  holy  thing, 
because  they  are  with  God.  We  claim  them  still  as  ours; 
for  we  are  God's,  as  they  are  His.  We  feel  their  presence 
near.  The  very  insistence  of  our  desire  makes  them  real  to 
our  hearts.  The  memory  of  their  sweet  strong  lives  stirs 
within  us  hallowed  feelings  of  a  solemn  joy.  Many  of  you 
through  this  celebration  may  have  had  some  such  expe- 
rience as  that  of  the  aged  man  who  found  himself  one  time 
upon  the  banks  of  the  Rhine,  at  a  spot  which  had  been 
peculiarly  associated  with  two  companions  of  his  earlier  days, 
and  who  as  he  crosses  the  river,  sits  deep  bowed  in  reverie, 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  55 

until  reaching  the  opposite  shore,   when    he  exclaims: — 

"Take,  O  boatman,  thrice  thy  lee, 

Take,  I  give  it  willingly; 

For,  invisible  to  thee 

Spirits  twain  have  crossed  with  me." 

It  is  easy  to  shut  the  eyes  and  with  memory's  inner  vis- 
ion, see  old  forms,  and  old  faces  along  these  aisles  and  in 
these  pews;  and  to  recognize  perchance,  the  touch  of  a  van- 
ished hand,  or  the  sound  of  a  voice  that  is  still. 

We  are  thus  ever  and  again  reminded  that  the  brother- 
hood of  which  we  are  all  members,  persists  through  all 
separation,  be  it  even  that  of  death. 

It  is  to  me  ever  a  grateful  thought,  that  though  called  to 
work  in  other  fields,  I  am  still  one  with  you  in  your  labors 
here,  for  ours  is  one  work — the  search  after  the  truth,  and 
the  endeavor  to  promote  the  cause  of  righteousness  alway 
and  everywhere.  And  we  feel  constrained  at  such  a  time 
as  this,  to  dedicate  ourselves  anew  to  its  high  behests  and 
sacred  trusts.  While  celebrating  this  festival  which  com- 
memorates the  history  of  this  Church  for  a  hundred  years 
and  more,  it  seems  to  me  well  to  recall  to  mind,  that  we  are 
members  of  a  still  greater  brotherhood, — the  holy  catholic 
church  of  Christ.  All  denominational  and  local  pride  is 
merged  in  that  larger  loyalty,  and  freer,  broader  spirit  of 
fraternity  which  spring  up  in  our  hearts  with  the  thought, 
that  ours  is  the  Church  whose  history  stretches  back  through 
the  centuries  to  the  Manger  of  Bethlehem,  when  the  Shep- 
herds fed  their  flocks  by  night  hard  by  upon  the  hills  of 
David;  and  whose  future  will  reveal  a  still  more  glorious 
destiny,  in  its  progressive  march  towards  that 

"One  far  off,  divine  event 
To  which  the  whole  creation  moves." 


56  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

It  is  meet,  therefore,  that,  realizing  the  splendor  of  our 
heritage,  we  join  heart  and  voice  in  ascribing  unto  Christ 
Jesus,  the  Head  of  the  church  universal,  all  honor  and  glory. 
"For  thou,  O  Christ,  art  the  King  of  Glory;  Thou  art  the 
everlasting  Son  of  the  Father.  Heaven  and  earth  are  full 
of  the  majesty  of  Thy  glory;  The  glorious  company  of  the 
Apostles  praise  Thee;  The  goodly  fellowship  of  the  proph- 
ets praise  Thee;  The  noble  army  of  martyrs  praise  Thee; 
The  Holy  Church  throughout  all  the  world  doth  acknowl- 
edge Thee." 


REMARKS  OF  THE  REV.  J.  A.  CRAWFORD,  D.  D. 


I  have  been  asked  to  refer  to  any  facts  or  incidents  in 
connection  with  my  ministry  here  which  may,  perhaps,  be 
of  interest  on  an  occasion  like  this.  It  is  not  easy  to  do 
this  at  this  late  date,  and  inasmuch  as  I  have  no  connected 
account  to  which  to  refer. 

I  may  say  something  in  regard  to  the  experiences  of  our 
church  in  the  great  Revival  of  Religion  which  God 
graciously  granted  here  in  the  years  seventy-six  and 
seventy-seven.  In  the  autumn  and  early  winter  of 
seventy-six,  times  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord 
came  to  many  sections  of  our  land.  Churches  here  and 
there  began  to  show  a  deepened  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
this  lost  world,  and  great  concern  lest  men  should  perish. 
I  cannot  remember  what  it  was  that  led  to  this.  But  the 
fact  is  as  stated.  Some  of  us  can  recall  the  great  revival  of 
fifty-seven,  and  what  it  was  that  told  upon  the  churches 
then.  News  came  from  India  of  the  terrible  mutiny  there 
among  the  Sepoy  troops  of  the  British  army.  We  read 
with  horror  of  the  massacre  at  Cawnpore  and  Lucknow,  of 
the  butchery  of  our  missionaries  by  the  Nana  Sahib.  All 
Britain  was  greatly  moved  and  shocked,  and  our  own  land 
as  well.  The  church  waked  to  realize  that  she  had  been 
sadly  neglectful  of  her  duty  to  the  heathen,  and  that,  so  far 
from  pushing  the  great  work  of  Foreign  Missions,  she  had, 
in  fact,  been  toying  with  it,  and  that  now  God  was  rebuking 
and  admonishing  her  in  a  very  positive  way  indeed.  She 
turned,  therefore,  to  the  Lord  with  confession,  and  with  re- 
newal of  her  covenant,  and  set  herself  with  new  zeal  to  her 
high  task.  The  result  was  her  general  revival.  And  we  in 

57 


58  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

this  country  shared  in  it.  I  well  remember  the  state  of 
things  in  my  own  church  in  southern  Ohio,  and  the  many 
who  turned  to  the  Lord.  But  I  cannot  now  account  for  the 
general  interest  which  in  1876  began  to  show  itself  all  over 
our  land  in  the  cause  of  lost  men.  There  was  plainly  some 
blessed  power  at  work  and  our  churches  here  were  conscious 
of  it.  You  will  remember  that  meetings  were  held  -by  our 
two  congregations  in  the  Central  church  and  in  our  own  by 
turns.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Caldwell  was  pastor  then  of  the 
Central.  For  weeks  the  meetings  were  continued,  and  the 
result  was  that  fifty-seven  united  with  our  own  church  on 
profession  of  their  faith.  Of  these  ten  were  heads  of  fami- 
lies. The  session  appointed  a  meeting  (i)  for  the  young  men 
by  themselves,  (2)  for  the  young  women,  (3)  for  the  heads  of 
families.  So  that  when  the  Sabbath  of  Communion  came 
there  was  the  large  number  which  I  have  just  given  apply- 
ing for  admission.  It  was  a  time  of  great  joy  to  us  all. 
Some  came  back  to  the  Lord  who  had  wandered  away. 
Family  altars  were  set  up  in  many  a  home,  and  the  meet- 
ings for  prayer  were  often  crowded.  It  was  delightful  to 
watch  the  increasing  change  in  the  manner  of  life  of  some 
of  those  who  at  that  time  came  into  the  church.  Not  only 
were  they  in  their  seats  in  the  meeting  lor  prayer,  but  many 
of  them,  in  a  timid  yet  a  manly  Christian  way,  began  to 
take  a  part  in  the  services.  When  opportunity  was  given 
to  speak  or  to  offer  prayer  it  was  seized  by  one  and  another. 
I  remember  with  what  interest  I  listened  as  they  spoke  to 
us,  or  to  God  for  us.  It  must  have  been  a  great  trial  to 
some  of  them  who  were  not  used  to  public  speaking.  And 
we  were  edified. 

In  the  cases  of  some  of  these  brethren  there  were  points 
of  great  interest.  I  well  remember  the  experience  of  one 
of  them.  He  was  a  man  of  great  intellectual  force,  very 
logical  and  acute.  His  heart  must  needs  be  reached 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  59 

through  his  head.  He  would  have  been  glad  to  get  to  the 
Lord  in  a  merely  logical  way  had  that  been  possible,  and  to 
find  Him  simply  by  the  Reason.  I  felt  myself  embarrassed 
in  talking  with  him.  I  did  not  doubt  his  sincerity.  I 
could  see  his  spiritual  uneasiness,  that  he  was  weary  of 
himself  and  of  his  methods  as  one  who  was  seeking  to  be 
saved.  I  remember  how  we  walked  the  pavement  in  the 
night,  he  pressing  me  to  make  things  plain  if  I  could. 
This  state  of  things  continued  until  I  began  to  think  that 
he  never  would  be  the  Lord's,  and  come  to  Him  on  His 
own  terms.  But  finally  he  did.  It  must  have  been  that  the 
Spirit  taught  him  and  powerfully  persuaded  him, — for  I 
was  at  my  limit.  And  I  am  sure  that  to-day  he  would  not 
for  all  the  world  be  back  at  his  old  halting  place  of  doubt, 
nor  take  any  other  way  to  the  sky,  even  supposing  one 
.could  be  opened,  than  the  one  he  did  take  of  simple,  be- 
lieving submission  to  God. 

I  recall  the  case  of  another,  and  he  too  a  man  of  mind. 
He  was  of  a  reverent  spirit,  sincere,  conscientious.  But  he 
could  not  make  up  his  mind.  I  had  several  interviews  and 
prayers  with  him,  and  he  was  ready  to  confess  the  Lord. 
But  he  allowed  the  opportunity  to  pass,  hoping  to  see  more 
clearly  than  he  did  in  his  twilight,  and  finally  he  came. 

I  remember — perhaps  it  was  about  this  time — that  I 
preached  a  sermon,  and  which  because  of  the  interest  which 
the  curious  theme  had  for  me,  I  have  sometimes  thought 
that  I  would  repeat,  on  the  words  in  2  Kings  vn:  7,  'Where- 
fore they  arose  and  fled  in  the  twilight.'  The  theme  was 
that  if  we  fly  for  safety  at  all  we  must  run  with  the  twi- 
light views  we  have.  Some  of  you  may  recall  the  text  if 
not  the  sermon. 

In  the  revival  time  of  the  winter  of  seventy-six  and  the 
spring  of  seventy-seven  we  had  in  the  old  Lecture-room 
some  most  enjoyable  and  precious  seasons.  I  remember  the 


6o  THE  FALLING  SPRING 

meetings  for  the  young  men,  our  kneeling  and  prayer 
together.  Then  they  had  meetings  conducted  by  them- 
selves and  on  which  neither  pastor  nor  elder  intruded. 

The  Rev.  Geo.  B.  Needham,  an  evangelist,  came  on  invi- 
tation of  the  churches  and  spent  some  time  in  preaching  the 
Gospel,  his -wife  leading  Bible  readings  with  the  ladies. 
They  were  good  people,  we  thought,  and  we  put  110  hind- 
rance in  their  way,  but  gave  them  'every  opportunity  to 
do  good. 

We  had  a  fine  opportunity  in  the  session  at  that  time 
when  so  many  as  fifty-seven  were  inquiring  for  the  way,  to 
learn  what  it  was  that  led  those  who  came  to  seek  the  Lord. 
And  we  could  see  and  did  see  by  how  a  seemingly  small 
circumstance  a  man's  eternal  fate  may  be  determined. 
Some  traced  their  first  good  impression  to  a  sermon,  or  to  a 
casual  occurance,  or  to  some  word  of  Scripture.  Some 
could  give  no  connected  account  of  the  beginning  of  their 
new  experience.  It  mattered  not.  The  Holy  Spirit  was 
plainly  at  work  along  his  ordinary  lines  and  the  blessed  re- 
sults were  reached. 


REMARKS  OF  THE  REV.  S.  J.  NICCOLLS,  D.  D. 


(The  following  is  a  summary  taken  from  the  local  papers 
as  reported  at  the  time,  Dr.  Niccolls  having  written  that 
he  was  unable  to  furnish  a  copy :) 

Dr.  Niccolls  said,  he  was  invited  to  supply  the  church  in 
1860.  After  preaching  on  two  Sabbaths  he  was  extended  a 
call.  He  found  he  was  in  his  right  place,  and  thought 
there  never  was  a  charge  so  dear.  It  was  his  first  charge. 
The  church  was  one  of  peculiar  standing.  Here  were  the 
leading  men  of  this  community,  men  prominent  in  the 
state,  foremost  at  the  bar  and  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 
The  circumstances  which  led  to  the  first  revival  after  his 
coming  were  singular.  He  desired  one  evening  to  speak 
to  a  member  of  the  choir  on  spiritual  matters,  but  was  pre- 
vented by  a  rehearsal.  While  talking  to  a  young  lawyer, 
who  afterward  entered  the  ministry,  (the  Rev.  Dr.  Orr,)  a 
message  came  to  him  that  a  man  had  been  injured  on  the 
Cumberland  Valley  Railroad.  He  went  to  the  old  station 
to  see  the  man.  On  entering,  he  saw  on  the  wall  the  Su- 
perintendent's order,  "Passengers  must  purchase  tickets 
before  starting."  He  wondered  if  the  man,  who  in  the 
morning,  boastful  of  his  great  physical  strength,  had  re- 
viled religion,  had  procured  his  ticket;* he  found  he  had  not. 
He  preached  a  very  plain  funeral  sermon  over  the  man's 
remains.  The  discourse  had  much  effect,  and  a  revival  be- 
gan. Services  were  held  night  after  night,  and  as  a  result 
some  fifty  were  gathered  into  the  church.  Among  other 
things  growing  out  of  this  revival  was  the  increased  ac- 
tivity of  the  young  people.  ******  >pke  besj. 
definition  of  faith  he  ever  heard  was  from  the  lips  of  an  old 

61 


62  THE  FALLING  SPRING 

colored  woman  here:  "God  said  he  would  save  me  and 
Pin  a-holdin'  Him  to  it!"  Dr.  Niccolls  said:  "Could  I 
put  events  in  their  true  historical  sequence  the  result  would 
be  entrancing  in  its  harmony — the  music  of  God's  people 
moving  forward."  Dr.  Niccolls  illustrated  the  value  of 
prayer  by  this  incident:  After  the  fire  when  it  was  re- 
ported that  rebels  were  returning,  and  people  were  fleeing 
from  the  town,  he  was  left  alone  with  his  wife  and  his  only 
daughter,  who  was  so  ill  that  a  ride  on  the  train  would 
almost  certainly  cause  her  death.  He  took  the  little  child  in 
his  arms,  went  into  his  study,  and  prayed  the|L,ord  to  give  her 
strength  to  be  removed  from  town  on  a  train  which  was  to 
leave  several  hours  afterward.  Then  he  replaced  the  child  in 
her  carriage.  For  a  few  moments  she  slept,  and  then 
awoke  and  tried  to  get  out  of  her  carriage.  She  was  not 
interfered  with,  and  presently  climbed  from  it,  and  walking 
to  her  toys  began  to  play  with  them.  He  knew  then  that  his 
prayer  had  been  answered,  and  they  left  Chambersburg  that 
afternoon.  *  *  *  *  Dr.  Niccolls  concluded  as  follows : 
"  The  true  genius  of  the  child  of  God  is  to  walk  in  the  hope 
of  better  times.  Your  best  days  are  before  you.  No  true 
child  of  God  turns  to  the  past  and  moans  and  groans  over 
what  has  gone  from  him.  More  thrilling  days  are  before 
us.  The  twentieth  century  has  more  glory  to  unfold  to  us 
than  the  marvelous  nineteenth." 


PERSONAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASTORS. 


REV.  SAMUEL  CAVEN,  1739  TO  1741. 

Samuel  Caven,  the  first  Pastor  of  the  Falling  Spring 
Church,  was  born  in  1706,  and  came  to  this  country  from 
Templerea,  county  Tyrone,  Ireland,  not  long  prior  to  1737. 
The  earliest  reference  to  him  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  Donegal,  which  then  included  the  territory  of  our 
Church,  bears  the  date  of  October  5,  1737.  On  that  day 
Mr.  Caven,  in  company  with  Mr.  John  Elder,  a  licentiate 
of  New  Castle  Presbytery,  "having  produced  sufficient  tes- 
timonials and  having  preached  to  the  satisfaction  of 
Presbytery,  and  adopted  the  Westminster  Confession  of 
Faith,  and  Catechism,  as  the  confession  of  their  faith,  and 
promised  obedience  to  Presbytery,  were  taken  under  its 
care."  Mr.  Caven  was  at  once  appointed  to  supply  the 
people  ot  Pennsborough  (now  Silver  Spring)  the  first  three 
Sabbaths  of  October.  On  November  6,  1737,  Presbytery 
sent  him  to  Conococheague  or  Clear  Water  Settlement, 
"embracing  what  is  now  Falling  Spring,  tipper  West  Con- 
ococheague, (Mercersburg),  East  Conococheague,  or  Green- 
castle,  and  Lower  West  Conococheague,  or  Welsh  Run." 
He  acted  as  supply  for  these  four  Churches  and  the 
Churches  of  Pennsborough  (alternating  every  four  Sab- 
baths with  Mr.  Samuel  Thomson),  until  April  12,  1738, 
when  Presbytery  was  requested  to  arrange  lor  Mr.  Thomson 
to  be  called  to  both  the  societies  of  Pennsborough.  For  the 
balance  of  two  years,  Mr.  Caven  supplied  the  Conoco- 
cheague churches  alone,  when  those  four  churches  were 

63 


64  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

separated  by  Presbytery  into  two  charges.  At  the  same 
time  he  was  appointed  by  Presbytery  to  supply  at  Upper 
Hopewell  and  Middle  Spring,  at  the  meeting  of  Presbytery 
April  20,  1739.  Mr.  Caven  having  received  and  accepted  a 
call  from  the  East  Side,  comprising  the  present  Falling 
Spring  and  Greencastle  churches,  he  was  ordained  and  in- 
stalled November  16,  1739.  On  November  17,  Presbytery 
ordered  that  he  should  supply  Upper  Hopewell  or  Middle 
Spring  on  certain  Sabbaths  in  December,  1739,  and  Feb- 
ruary and  March,  1740.  On  June  18,  1740,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  supply  Great  Conewago,  and  Lower  Marsh 
Creek  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  July  and  "to  preach  there  on 
a  week  day  and  inquire  into  the  state  of  both  these  settle- 
ments and  make  a  report  at  our  next."  And  in  September, 
he  was  appointed  to  supply  again  on  fixed  days.  During  the 
winter  of  1740-41,  he  visited  the  Churches  and  settlements 
on  the  South  Branch  of  the  Potomac.  On  the  2nd  of  July, 
1741,  at  his  own  request,  he  was  dismissed  iromthe  Falling 
Spring  charge.  During  the  summer  he  spent  some  time  at 
Antietam  (or  Hagerstown),  Marsh  Creek,  Opequhon,  and 
on  the  South  Branch. 

It  was  while  he  was  still  Pastor  at  Falling  Spring,  that 
the  famous  Craighead  Case  came  before  the  Synod  ot 
Philadelphia,  in  May,  1741.  It  would  be  a  long  story  to 
tell.  Suffice  it  to  say,  as  we  are  confined  to  the  personal 
history  of  the  Pastors  ot  this  Church,  that  Mr.  Caven  was 
one  of  the  twelve  signers  of  the  Protestation  presented  to 
Synod  on  June  ist.  And  the  Protestation  was  the  final 
occasion  of  the  rupture  ot  1741,  when  the  Synod  was 
divided  into  Old  Side  and  New  Side,  a  rupture  which  Dr. 
Charles  Hodge  (Constitutional  History,  .Vol.  2,  pages  158-9,) 
characterizes  as  "a  disorderly  rupture,  when  not  even  the 
forms  of  an  ecclesiastical,  much  less  of  a  judicial  proceed- 
ing, were  observed."  That  rupture  appears  to  have  been 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  65 

caused,  not  so  much  by  doctrinal  differences  as  by  the  state 
and  needs  of  the  church.  On  the  Old  Side,  it  was  charged, 
were  an  orthodox  faith  frozen  into  a  dead  formalism,  and  a 
consequent  or  accompanying  lack  of  spiritually-minded 
preachers  of  sufficient  education  to  maintain  the  old  and 
well-established  grade  of  intelligence  in  the  Presbyterian 
ministry,  while  at  the  same  time  earnest  and  consecrated 
enough  to  meet  the  increasing  demand  for  revived  and 
practical  piety.  The  New  Side  were  for  such  men  and 
measures  as  would  result  in  a  revival  of  godliness  while 
maintaining  a  high  grade  of  education.  On  the  Old  Side 
were  to  be  found  men  like  Robert  Cross,  John  Thomson, 
Francis  Alison,  John  Elder,  and  Samuel  Caven.  On  the 
New  Side  were  arrayed  the  William  Tennents,  senior  and 
junior,  Gilbert  Tennent,  Alexander  Craighead  and  David 
Alexander  (the  two  latter  of  the  Presbytery  of  Donegal), 
Charles  Tennent  and  Samuel  Blair,  who  had  also  the  moral 
support  of  the  great  Whitefield. 

The  above  facts  shed  not  a  little  light  on  the  position 
of  the  Falling  Spring  Pastor,  Samuel  Caven,  and  of  the 
Church  itself,  upon  the  questions  agitating  the  Church  at 
large.  Samuel  Caven,  taking  his  stand  with  the  Old  Side, 
finds  himself  at  variance  with  a  part  of  his  Falling  Spring 
charge,  which  was  New  Side  to  so  considerable  an  extent 
that  Gillett  says  "his  people  complained  of  him  that  he 
never  asked  about  the  state  of  their  souls,"  and  another 
writer,  that  "he  was  much  complained  of  by  them,  as  not 
sufficiently  anxious  for  their  salvation,  and  as  failing  in 
pointed  conversation  and  preaching  in  regard  to  their 
spiritual  state."  On  this  account  he  was  released  from  this 
charge.  And  from  this  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  Falling 
Spring  Church  in  its  very  earliest  history  was  to  a  large 
degree  ranged  on  the  New  Side,  and  advocated  such 
methods  of  worship  as  those  by  which  the  great  Tennents 


66  ,  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

and  the  greater  Whitefield  sought  to  revive  the  church  and 
bring  sinners  to  Christ. 

Mr.  Caven  on  leaving  this  field,  as  I  have  already  said, 
while  without  a  regular  charge  from  1741-9  itinerated  in 
various  places  under  appointment  by  Presbytery.  It  ap- 
pears that  in  May,  1743,  he  was  called  to  the  Church  at 
Goodwill,  N.  Y.  He  also  visited  vacant  Churches  in 
Virginia  and  other  States.  He  occasionally  supplied  the 
Falling  Spring  Church  and  the  Greencastle  (then  Lower 
East  Conococheague),  and  was  invited  to  the  latter  Church 
November  6,  1744,  but  declined  the  call.  On  April  4,  1749, 
he  was  called  to  the  Lower  Pennsborough  (now  Silver 
Spring)  Church,  and  "  their  vacancy  for  four  years  had  pro- 
duced such  a  desire  for  the  settlement  of  a  Pastor  that  they 
-  sent  with  the  call  a  .supplication,  earnestly  requesting  Mr. 
Caven's  speedy  acceptance."  Having  accepted  the  call,  he 
was  installed  at  Silver  Spring,  August  5,  1749,  the  Rev. 
Richard  Sanckey  presiding  and  preaching  from  the  text, 
Prov.  ii :  30,  "The  fruit  of  the  righteous  is  a  tree  of  life, 
and  he  that  winneth  souls  is  wise."  Mr.  Caven's  pastorate 
was  brief.  He  died  November  9,  1750,  aged  44  years.  A 
tombstone  marks  his  resting-place  in  the  Silver  Spring 
burying-ground. 

Tradition  says  that  Mr.  Caven  never  married. 

From  the  date  of  Mr.  Caven's  release  from  the  Falling 
Spring  charge,  July  2,  1741,  until  the  installation  of  Rev. 
James  Lang,  in  1767,  we  know  little  or  nothing  of  the 
ministers  who  preached  in  this  Church.  Mr.  Caven  was 
appointed  at  times,  as  June  10,  1744,  to  supply  the  pulpit. 
The  Records  of  Presbytery,  for  the  years  1750-59  have 
been  lost.  It  would  seem  that  no  settled  Pastor  labored 
here  during  that  period.  At  any  rate,  we  must  pass  on  and 
notice  briefly,  the  life  and  work  of 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  67 

II. 
REV.  JAMES  LANG,   1767  TO  1793- 

Mr.  Lang  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1737,  and  came  to  this 
country  in  early  manhood.  In  1764  he  was  married  to 
Margaret  Helm,  of  Lancaster,  Pa. 

Mr.  Lang's  pastorate  here  covered  the  entire  period  of 
the  American  Revolution.  Some  facts  of  interest  in  re- 
gard to  his  pastorate  have  been  preserved-  to  us.  The  Old 
and  New  Sides  having  reunited  in  1758,  peace  for  a  time 
reigned.  So  much  so  that  Mr.  Lang,  an  Old  Side  sympa- 
thizer, could  be  Pastor  for  twenty-six  years  of  a  Church 
which  had  had  strong  New  Side  leanings,  as  this  had  when 
Mr.  Caven,  also  of  the  Old  Side,  was  released  from  the 
charge  twenty-six  years  earlier.  Yet  the  old  spirit  of  differ- 
ence was  still  present.  The  Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  com- 
posed mostly  of  New  Side  men,  was  erected  by  the  -Synod 
in  1765  and  had  a  brief  existence.  The  dissatisfaction  was 
not  quieted  or  removed.  In  1766  the  Old  Presbytery  of 
Donegal  was  revived.  Peace  did  not  yet  come.  In  1767, 
the  records  show,  some  dissatisfied  brethren  proceeded  to 
form  themselves  into  a  separate  body,  and  to  act  in  a  Pres- 
byterial  capacity.  One  of  their  earliest  acts  directly  touched 
this  Church.  For  this  independent  Presbytery  ordained 
James  Lang  and  installed  him  Pastor  of  the  East  Conoco- 
cheague  (or  Greencastle)  and  Falling  Spring  Churches ! 
Thus  it  came  about  that  the  second  Pastor  of  this  Church 
was  ordained  and  put  in  charge  by  a  self-constituted  body 
of  men  acting  in  rebellion  to  the  Synod,  men  who  were 
representatives  of  the  Old  Side  element,  and  now  exercising 
authority  in  a  church  which  had  formerly  compelled  an 
Old  Side  minister  to  resign  his  charge!  Such  are  the 
changes  which  come  over  Churches  in  the  course  of  years. 
And  Synod,  at  the  same  meeting- in  1767,  adopted  a  resolu- 


68  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

tion  that  this  self-constituted  Presbytery  "must  not  now  be 
considered  members  of  this  body."  And  in  the  list  of 
ministers  named,  Mr.  Lang's  name  is  not  found.  In  June, 
1767,  the  Synod's  Presbytery  of  Donegal  adopted  similar 
resolutions  against  the  indepentent  Presbytery  of  Donegal. 
In  1768,  however,  Synod,  "for  the  sake  of  peace"  author- 
ized its  Presbytery  of  Donegal  to  receive  Messrs.  Thomson 
and  Lang,  "provided  they  apply  for  admission  the  first  con- 
venient opportunity."  A  similar  provision  was  adopted  as 
to  the  other  ministers  concerned.  April  n,  1769,  Mr. 
Lang,  at  his  own  request,  was  so  received  and  enrolled  by 
the  Donegal  Presbytery.  Thus  it  came  about  that  both 
Synod  and  Presbytery  recognized  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Lang, 
although  done  by  a  self-constituted  and  rebellious  body. 

Mr.  Lang  remained  Pastor  of  this  Church  from  1767 
until  November  4,  1793,  residing  in  Greencastle,  and 
preaching  here  once  in  two  weeks.  On  the  latter  date  he 
was  released  from  this  charge.  The  reason  for  his  leaving 
the  pastorate  of-  this  Church  was  that  charges  against  him 
had  been  presented  in  Presbytery,  by  members  of  this 
Church,  alleging  that  he  was  accustomed  to  use  light  and 
trifling  language  in  his  sermons.  He  was  acquited  ot  these 
charges,  but  offered  his  resignation.  He  still  retained  his 
position  as  Pastor  of  the  Old  Side  portion  of  the  Lower 
East  Conococheague  or  Greencastle  Church,  which  itself 
had  some  time  before  divided  into  Old  and  New  Side.  In 
the  Old  Side  portion  of  the  latter  charge  he  remained 
Pastor  until  November  26,  1800.  During  his  pastorate  at 
Falling  Spring,  he  was  with  others  appointed  in  April, 
1775,  to  supply  some  of  the  vacant  and  new  churches  in 
the  Presbytery.  During  his  pastorate  this  congregation 
was  incorporated,  March  25,  1785,  by  the  name  of  "The 
Trustees  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Falling  Spring,  in 
the  Count v  of  Franklin." 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  69 

One  item  of  interest  has  been  brought  to  light,  in  seek- 
ing for  information  about  our  Church  during  this  period. 
Prof.  J.  W.  Mears,  D.  D.,  is  our  authority  for  the  statement, 
as  he  gave  it  in  an  address  on  "The  Presbyterian  Element 
in  Our  National  Life  and  History,"  before  the  old  Synod 
of  Central  New  York,  at  Watertown,  October  18,  1876. 
In  that  address  Prof.  Mears  shows  how  Presbyterianism 
allied  itself,  identified  itself  with  the  cause  of  free  govern- 
ment, and  goes  on  to  say :  "  of  the  Scotch-Irish  race  in 
America  it  is  said  it  is  perhaps  the  only  race  of  all  that 
settled  in  the  western  world  that  never  produced  one  Tory. 
The  nearest  case  to  it  ever  known  was  that  of  a  man  who 
was  brought  before  a  church  session  in  Chambersburg,  and 
tried  upon  the  charge  that  he  was  not  sincere  in  his  pro- 
fession of  his  attachment  to  the  cause  of  the  Revolution." 
It  has  not  been  so  tar  possible  to  discover  the  name  of  this 
man.  Perhaps  it  is  just  as  well  to  let  it  rest  in  obscurity. 
Prof.  Mears  makes  another  statement  which  will  interest  us, 
when  he  says:  "It  is  claimed  that  General  Washington, 
when  making  a  long  and  disheartening  retreat,  was  asked 
where  he  expected  to  pause.  He  replied,  that  if  he  was 
obliged  to  cross  every  river  and  every'  mountain  to  the 
limits  of  civilization,  he  would  make  his  last  stand  with 
the  Scotch-Irishmen  of  the  frontiers,  there  plant  his  banner 
and  still  fight  for  treedom." 

We  are  indebted  to  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Barbor,  of  Burlington, 
Kansas,  a  great-grandson  of  Mr.  Lang,  for  the  following 
most  interesting  information : 

"I  have  a  dozen  of  my  great-grandfather's  manuscript 
sermons  preached  at  Falling  Spring  Church,  also  the  silk 
stockings  he  wore  when  he  was  married  to  Margaret  Helm 
in  Lancaster  City  in  1764,  when  they  wore  knee-breeches. 
I  have,  also,  a  description  of  him  by  a  man  who  taught  in 
his  family  and  who  very  greatly  esteemed  him.  He  repre- 


70  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

sents  him  as  having  been  in  appearance  like  Andrew 
Jackson  and  a  fine  preacher.  His  oldest  daughter,  Mary, 
was  married  to  John  Park,  a  stepson  of  Colonel  Johnson. 
John  Park  secured  a  large  tract  of  good  land  in  Indiana 
county,  where  with  Colonel  Johnson  he  had  been  surveying 
for  the  state,  and  there  he  lived  and  died  somewhat  prema- 
turely in  1844.  His  wife,  my  mother's  mother,  was  a  grand 
old  woman  and  lived  to  raise  a  large  family  of  her  own  and 
several  adopted  orphans.  I  think  it  is  stated  that  for  fifty 
ye#rs  she  did  not  miss  a  Communion  at  the  old  Gilgal 
Church  where  she  belonged,  though  it  is  four  miles  away. 

"One  of  the  sermons  of  which  I  have  written  was 
preached  on  the  first  Thanksgiving  day  alter  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  and  another  was  preached  on  the  day  of  humili- 
ation and  prayer  observed  after  the  death  of  General 
Washington."  The  former  has  been  published  and  a  copy 
of  it  filed  among  the  archives  of  the  Falling  Spring  Church. 
Mr.  Lang  frequently  supplied  this  pulpit  for  several  years 
after  the  relation  as  pastor  was  dissolved,  April,  1797. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Barbor  has  two  manuscript  sermons 
preached  by  Mr.  Lang  in  this  Church,  one  on  John  20:  29, 
"The  Nature  of  Saving  Faith,"  preached  the  second  Sab- 
bath of  September,  1768;  the  other  on  Luke  9:  55,  "The 
Necessity  of  Knowing  Ourselves,"  preached  the  second 
Sabbath  of  April,  1781.  Mr.  Lang  died  at  his  home  about 
three  miles  northwest  of  Greencastle  in  1818.  Ten  years 
previous  to  his  death  he  lost  his  eyesight  entirely. 

in. 

WILLIAM  SPEER,  1794  TO  1797. 

We  have  now  reached  a  point  where  more  definite  and 
detailed  information  is  at  hand.  For  much  of  this  I  arn 
indebted  to  the  Rev.  William  Speer,  D.  D.,  of  Washington, 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


Pa.,  grandson  of  the  first  Pastor  of  this  Church  as  a  separate 
charge,  and  the  third  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 

William  Speer.was  born  September  15,  1764,  at  the  Gap  of 
the  South  Mountain,  eight 
miles  west  of  Gettysburg. 
His  father,  James  Speer, 
came  from  the  north  ol 
Ireland  in  1759,  with  his 
family,  accompanied  by- 
two  brothers.  Elizabeth, 
a  daughter  of  Jame"s,  was 
married  to  James  Buchan- 
an, merchant,  of  Mercers- 
burg.  James,  one  of  her 
sons,  became  President  ol 
the  United  States. 

William,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  the 
youngest  son  of  James 
Speer.  He  began  the 
study  of  Latin  at  the 
school  of  the  Rev.  Alex- 
ander Dobbin,  in  Gettysburg.  (Mr.  Dobbin  lived  in  a 
house  at  trie  foot  of  Cemetery  Hill,  within  the  battle-field 
of  July  1-3,  1863.)  Young  Speer  was  received  into  the 
membership  of  the  Lower  Marsh  Creek  Church,  probably 
under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  John  McKnight,  which 
began  in  1783.  He  was  graduated  from  Dickinson  College, 
May  7,  1788,  and  studied  theology  there  in  a  class  taught 
by  the  celebrated  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Nesbit,  whom  Dr. 
Witherspoon,  v/hen  first  invited  from  Scotland  to  the  presi- 
dency of  Princeton  College,  recommended  instead  of  himself, 
for  that  position,  as  the  most  suitable  person  within  his 
knowledge.  Mr.  Speer  was  a  favorite  student  of  Dr.  Nesbit. 


72  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

June  9,  1791,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Carlisle,  with  permission  to  labor  in  New  York,  where 
he  was  for  a  tew  months  associated  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  John 
Rodgers  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  McKnight  in  the  Collegiate 
(First)  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  which  embraced  the  V/all 
Street,  Brick,  and  Rutgers  Street  Churches.  On  leaving 
this  work,  he  made  extensive  evangelistic  tours  during 
1 792-3,.  as  far  as  northern  New  York  and  Charleston,  S.  C., 
preaching  also  in  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania.  He  re- 
fused calls  to  Edisto  Island,  S.  C.,.and  Plattsburg,  N.  Y. 
In  1793,  before  his  ordination  as  a  minister,  the  General 
Assembly  appointed  him  as  ''Missionary  for  two  months 
irom  New  York  to  the  East  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna,  at 
a  salary  of  $33.33  a  month." 

About  the  close  ot  the  year  1793,  he  was  called  to  the 
Falling  Spring  Church,  at  a  salary  of  160  pounds  sterling 
per  annum,  afterwards,  before  his  acceptance  of  the  call, 
increased  to  175  pounds.  He  began  to  preach  regularly 
for  this  people  January  24,  1794.  "The  communities  of 
Carlisle  and  Chambersburg  and  of  that  portion  of  the  state 
were  composed  of  people  of  much  intelligence  and  refine- 
ment. As  Scotch-Irishmen,  they  held  to  the  old  truths  of 
their  Church,  yet  some  few  were  infected  with  the  French 
infidelity  and  general  irreligious  spirit  which  prevailed 
among  that  class  in  the  time  before  the  Revolutionary  War 
and  the  'Great  Revival  of  1800.'  The  language  of  the  Pas- 
toral Letter  of  our  General  Assembly  in  1798  describes  the 
condition  of  society  and  of  the  Churches  then  as  fearfully 
derelict  in  religious  principles  and  filled  with  immorality." 
Coming  here  in  1794,  Mr.  Speer  preached  his  first  sermon 
from  the  text,  Eph.  6 :  10,  "Be  strong  in  the  Lord  and  in 
the  power  of  His  might."  Mr.  Speer's  piety  was  ardent  and 
self-denying,  and  his  style  of  preaching  most  searching  and 
solemn.  Fortunately  we  have,  from  memoranda  kept  by 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  73 

himself,  the  texts  and  topics  of  some  of  these  sermons:  March 
9,  1794,  on  Mai.  2:15,  the  Work  of  the  Spirit;  May  2,  on 
Rev.  22:17  and  Isa.  55:11.  Mr.  Speer  preached  occasionally 
at  Great  Cove,  Greencastle,  Bedford,  Rocky  Spring  and  else- 
where, during  this  and  other  years. 

June  6  to  8  was  Communion  week,  and  on  Sabbath,  June  8, 
Mr.  Speer  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  James  Lang,  his  prede- 
cessor, in  administering  the  Lord's  Supper.  At  that  time 
there  were  received  on  examination,  nine;  on  certificate,  six. 
The  total  membership  was  about  ninety.  This  is  the  first 
information  we  have  as  to  membership.  The  afternoon 
sermon  was  from  Luke  2 :  20,  Shepherds  glorifying  and 
praising  God  for  all  the  things  that  they  had  heard  and  seen. 
On  September  28,  in  the  afternoon,  he  preached  to  a  com- 
pany of  infantry  about  to  march  against  the' Whiskey  Rebel- 
lion in  Western  Pennsylvania. 

October  8,  1794,  Mr.  Speer  was  ordained  and  installed 
pastor  of  this  Church.  October  u  and  12  General  Wash- 
ington passed  through  the  town  on  his  way  to  Fort  Cum- 
berland. •  • 

February  19,  1795,  there  was  a  general  thanksgiving  by 
appointment  of  President  Washington,  on  which  day  Mr. 
Speer  preached  on  Hos.  11:9.  In  May  following,  he  was  in 
attendance  upon  the  General  Assembly  at  Philadelphia. 
May  31  was  Communion  Sabbath,  when  there  were  received 
five  on  certificate,  two  on  examination,  and  four  were  refused 
as  unsatisfactory,  on  examination  (/)  His  sermon  on  that  day 
was  on  John  13:23,  The  Disciple  whom  Jesus  loved. 

November  4,  1795,  Mr.  Speer  was  married  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  John  King,  at  Mercersburg,  to  Sarah,  eldest  daughter  of 
Major  James  Ramsey,  merchant.  (In  passing,  it  may  be 
be  interesting  to  state  that  his  wife's  sister  Mary  Ramsey 
was  married,  October  n,  1798,  to  Archibald  Irwin.  They 
became  the  parents  of  Elizabeth,  -wife  of  John  Scott  Harri- 


74  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

son,  one  of  whose  sons  is  ex-President  Benjamin  Harrison. 
Another  sister,  Jane  F.  Ramsey,  became  the  wife  of  W.  H. 
Harrison,  Jr.  She  presided  over  the  Executive  Mansion 
during  the  brief  presidency  of  her  father-in-law,  Wm.  Henry 
Harrison,  Sr.) 

Mention  is  made  in  Mr.  Speer's  memoranda  of  sermons 
on  special  subjects,  June  7,  on  John  17:21,  "That  they  all 
may  be  one,  that  the  world  may  believe;"  July  19  and  26, 
four  sermons  on  baptism,  from  Matt.  28:  19-20;  Nov.  8, 
on  Luke  14:  10,  Christ's  lessons  from  a  wedding;  October 
1 8,  being  Communion  Sabbath,  on  Isa.  53. 

Nov.  19,  1796,  a  son,  James  Ramsey  Speer,  was  born. 
This  son  was  graduated  from  Washington  College  in  1816; 
began  the  practice  ol  medicine  1819,  and  went  to  Pittsburg 
1825.  He  is  represented  as  a  leader  in  humane  and  various 
public  enterprises.  Died  in  the  ninety-sixth  year  of  his  age, 
September  6,  1891.  Two  daughters,  Mrs.  Rev.  A.  O.  Pat- 
terson and  Mrs.  John  Riddell  were  born  elsewhere.  It  is 
his  son  William  who  has  furnished  us  with  much  of  our 
information. 

What  this  grandson,  Dr.  Speer,  says  of  Mr.  Speer's  work 
in  a  later  charge,  is  evidently  true  of  his  work  here.  "The 
texts  used  reveal  the  grand  centre  and  the  impelling  and 
regulating  force  of  all  his  teaching  and  labors, — the  grace  ol 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  glory  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
the  priceless  gift  of  pardon  to  us  and  to  the  whole  world 
through  His  blood,  the  love  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the 
heavenly  riches  which  He  has  to  bestow,  the  personal  and 
the  world-wide,  the  spiritual  and  the  material  blessings  of 
the  Kingdom  of  God  among  men."  Dr.  Speer  writes  as  fol- 
lows: "A  preacher  whose  sermons  and  influence  were  steeped 
in  the  spirit  of  Jonathan  Edwards  and  Whitefield  and  the 
Tennents,  as  you  will  ea«ily  discern  from  the  topics  of  the 
sermons  already  given,  would  faithfully  warn  men  of  their 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  75 

sins  while  he  pointed  them  to  a  merciful  and  omnipotent 
Redeemer.  His  sermons,  eminently  spiritual,  and  thus  dis- 
tasteful to  many  who  were  willing  to  conform  to  outward 
observances  but  hated  truth  and  admonitions  which  pierced 
with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  aroused  implacable  opposition. 
As  even  the  seraphic  Edwards  was  driven  from  Northamp- 
ton, it  is  not  strange  that  Mr.  Speer's  ministry  at  Cham- 
bersburg  lasted  only  three  years.  But  the  fruits  of  it  in 
many  forms  remained  and  have  been  a  blessing  there  until 
this  day." 

Mr.  Speer  was  released  from  this  charge  April  12,  1797, 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle.  His  farewell  sermon,  on  Acts 
20:17-35,  a  review  of  "three  years"  of  labor,  was  "a  solemn 
and  tender  admonition,  long  remembered  by  some  present." 

In-* the  following  June,  Mr.  Speer  went  on  a  missionary 
tour  to  the  West  and  South.  October  5  he  was  dismissed 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle  to  that  of  Transylvania, 
which  embraced  parts  of  Kentucky  and  Southern  Ohio. 
Coming  with  some  excellent  families  to  Chilicothe,  Ohio, 
(made  by  Congress,  Nov.  3,  1800,  the  capital  of  the  North- 
west Territory,)  he  established  the  present  Church  there, 
and  became  the  first  chaplain  of  the  infant  state  of  Ohio. 
He  also  established  the  church  of  Mt.  Pleasant,  Ohio,  in  the 
Presbytery  of  Chilicothe.  He  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
great  revival  in  Southern  Ohio  and  Kentucky. 

Much  sickness  in  his  family  and  domestic  afflictions,  (the 
death  of  a  child,)  compelled  him  to  leave  Chilicothe,  and  to 
return  to  Pennsylvania  in  November,  1801,  for  a  stay  at  his 
old  home  near  Gettysburg,  from  which  place  he  was  invited 
October  10,  1802,  to  preach  at  Greensburg,  Pa.  He  was 
soon  called  to  the  two  Churches  of  Unity  and  Greensburg, 
Presbytery  of  Redstone.  The  formal  acceptance  of  this  call 
was  given  in  Presbytery,  April  19,  1803.  From  the  Fall  of 
1802  until  released  from  his  charge,  April  8,  1829,  n^s  ^^e 


76  THE  FALLING  SPRING 

was  spent  in  those  congregations.  He  died  April  26,  1829. 
Mr.  Speer  was  the  grandfather  of  the  Rev.  Wm.  Speer,  D.  D., 
now  of  Washington,  Pa.,  who  was  from  1846-50  a  Foreign 
Missionary  and  later  Secretary  [of  our  Board  of  Education. 
Of  Mr.  Speer's  fervent  spirit,  his  intellectual  ability,  his 
careful  scholarship,  his  influence  in  Western  Pennsylvania, 
his  interest  in  educational  matters,  his  share  in  the  removal 
of  the  Presbyterian  JBanner  to  Pittsburg,  his  great  work  in 
developing  both  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  work,  his 
part  in  the  establishment  of  the  Western  Theological  Semi- 
nary at  Alleghany  in. 1827,  and  his  position  as  its  first  Vice 
President,  his  efforts  to  arouse  an  opposition  to  the  growing 
power  ol  Free  Masonry  as  then  constituted,  and  his  conflict 
with  the  infidelity  then  so  powerful  in  his  region,  and 
above  all,  his  intense  and  untiring  zeal  in  the  "Great  Revival 
of  1800"  and  in  subsequent  revivals,  ol  all  these  an  account 
is  given  in  a  most  interesting  sketch  of  his  life  on  pages 
37—54,  in  the  volume  recounting  the  Centennial  Celebra- 
tion of  the  Greensburg  (Pa.)  Church,  on  April  14-17,  1888, 
a  copy  of  which  volume  is  herewith  presented  to  our 
Church  by  Mr.  Speer's  grandson,  the  Rev.  William  Speer, 
D.  D.,  of  Washington,  Pa. 


IV. 
REV.  DAVID  DENNY,   1800  TO  1838. 

Permit  me  to  say,  in  the  beginning  of  this  sketch  of  Mr. 
Denny's  life,  that  I  am  especially  indebted  to  two  persons 
who  wrote  ol  Mr.  Denny  from  personal  knowledge.  The 
extracts  given  are  from  their  pens.  One  was  the  late 
William  C.  Lane,  M.  D.,  of  our  town,  the  other  was  the 
late  Rev.  J.  A.  Murray,  D.  D.,  of  Carlisle. 

Dr.  Murray  says  "  During  the  second  quarter  of  the  last 
century  the  Denny  family  came  from  the  mother  country  to 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


77 


Pennsylvania  and  settled  in  Chester  county.  About  1745  trie 
two  brothers,  William  and 
Walter  Denny,  removed 
from  Chester  to  what  is 
now  Cumberland  county. 
William  lived  and  died  in 
Carlisle,  and  had  been  re- 
peatedly appointed  to  of- 
ffice  by  the  Supreme  Exec- 
utive Council  —  in  1768, 
1769,  &c.  He  married 
Agnes  Parker,  of  the  val- 
ley, and  they  had  two  sons 
and  five  daughters  and 
hence  the  Dennys  of  Pitts- 
burg.  Walter  settled  about 
two  miles  south  of  Carlisle, 
where  he  owned  a  large 
tract  of  land.  When  the 
Revolutionary  War  had 

begun  he  raised  and  commanded  a  company,  but  was 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Crooked  Billet  (a  branch  of  the 
Neshamany  in  Bucks  county),  when  his  eldest  son,  fighting 
at  his  side,  was  captured  by  "the  enemy  and  kept  three 
months  on  board  a  Jersey  prison  ship. .  There  is  a  letter  in 
the  Pennsylvania  Archives,  volume  6,  page  470,  from 
Brigadier-General  Lacey  to  President  Wharton  of  the 
Supreme  Council  giving  an  account  of  this  battle  in  May, 
1778.  Like  a  true  woman  Mrs.  Mary  Denny  bravely  met 
the  responsibilities  of  her  widowhood  and  endeavored  to 
discharge  lovingly  and  faithfully  a  mother's  duties  to  her 
children,  now  bereft  of  their  father.  Of  these  she  had  six, 
five  sons  and  a  daughter. 

"Of  these    David,    the   subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the 


78  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

third  in  birth  order.  After  suitable  preparation  he  entered 
Dickinson  College,  whence  he  was  graduated  in  1788,  and 
it  was  the  second  class  graduated  from  this  time-honored 
institution.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Nesbit  was  Principal  of 
it,  and  it  was  under  him  also  that  Mr.  Denny  studied  Di- 
vinity. It  has  been  well  said,  that  the  sources  of  the  phil- 
osophy and  the  theology  at  that  day  were  neither  so  copious 
nor  accessible  as  at  present,  and  the  acquisitions  of  the  stu- 
dents were  consequently  earned  by  severer  toil  and  application 
than  the  facilities  of  learning  now  exact.  The  lectures  of 
Dr.  Nesbit  were  delivered  in  such  a  manner  that  the  mem- 
bers of  his  class  could  reduce  them  to  writing  as  they  fell 
from  his  lips ;  and  Mr.  Denny  left  several  quarto  volumes 
of  these  lectures,  in  his  own  very  legible  handwriting,  and 
they  form  a  respectable  body  of  metaphysics  and  theology. 
Mr.  Denny  was  a  great  admirer  of  his  distinguished  pre- 
ceptor, and  often  narrated  anecdotes  illustrative  of  his  art, 
learning,  and  accomplishments." 

He  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  on  October  6,  1791, 
by  the  Carlisle  Presbytery,  and  April  9,  1794,  was  ordained 
and  installed  Pastor  at  Upper  Path  Valley  and  Lower  Path 
Valley,  where  he  continued  until  October  9,  1800,  in  the  en- 
joyment of  the  esteem  and  affection  of  a  much  loved  people. 
November  24,  1800,  he  was*installed  Pastor  of  the  Falling 
Spring  Church,  which  he  retained  until  the  termination  of 
his  public  ministrations,  April  u,  1838,  when  he  was  re- 
leased by  the  Presbytery.  He  died  December  16,  1845. 

"For  a  period  of  38  years  Mr.  Denny  carefully  watched 
over  the  interests  of  his  people.  Our  earliest  recollections 
of  religious  worship,"  (wrote  Dr.  Lane  in  1851,)  "are  as- 
sociated with  this  faithful  minister  and  his  handsome 
Church.  Many  a  weary  Sabbath  hour  ot  our  childhood 
was  passed  within  those  Church  walls,  listening  to  the 
message  of  the  venerable  man,  which  our  youthful  mind 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  79 

could  not  comprehend.  We  were  taken  there  by  kind  and 
endeared  friends,  now,  alas !  no  more.  In  imagination,  we 
can  yet  see  the  man  of  God,  with  his  locks  silvered  by  the 
snows  of  many  winters,  delivering  his  message  of  love  to 
his  attentive  hearers,  and  urging  them  to  accept  the  salva- 
tion purchased  by  the  blood  oi  the  Redeemer,  which  he,  as 
His  special  ambassador,  was  empowered  to  offer  them.  We 
can  yet  see  the  familiar  form  of  our  old  teacher,  Mr.  Blood, 
as  he  stands  in  front  of  the  congregation,  to  raise  the  song 
ot  praise.  We  see,  too,  the  faces  of  many  of  our  old 
citizens,  then  members  of  the  congregation,  who  with  their 
beloved  Pastor,  are  now  realizing  in  the  heavenly  world, 
that  'it  is  no  vain  thing  to  serve  the  Lord.'  Mr.  Denny 
was,  in  all  respects,  a  faithful  shepherd,  and  watched  with 
zealous  care,  over  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  flock.  Under 
his  ministry,  were  brought  up  many  of  the  most  consistent 
and  worthy  Christians  of  our  town,  and  they  will  unite 
with  us,  in  a  feeble  attempt  to  commemorate  the  exalted 
worth  oi  their  aged  and  revered  friend  and  Pastor.  *  * 
He  was  a  man  of  commanding  intellect,  deeply  versed  in 
theology,  and  possessing  a  classic  and  cultivated  taste,  en- 
riched by  his  extensive  acquaintance  with  the  polished  pro- 
ductions ot  Greece  and  Rome,  with  which  his  vocation  as 
teacher  for  many  years  made  him  familiar.  Yet  he  was 
humble  and  unaffected ;  and  his  mild  and  courteous  deport^ 
ment  pointed  to  one  who  had  deeply  imbided  the  lovely 
virtues  of  his  Divine  Master.  To  the  young  he  was  es- 
pecially devoted ;  and  in  eloquent,  persuasive  tones,  often 
warned  them  to  forsake  the  devious  paths  of  sin,  and  walk 
in  the  narrow,  yet  peaceful  path  of  wisdom,  which  eventu- 
ally leads  to  ineffable  delights  in  the  heavenly  world.  To 
the  poor  and  illiterate,  as  well  as  to  the  cultivated  and  opu- 
lent, his  ear  was  always  open,  and  the  burdened  heart  never 
was  unlocked  in  vain,  but  always  departed  soothed  by  the 


80  THE  FALLING   SPRING 

kind  assurance  of  sympathy  and  the  consolations  of  Christi- 
anity, which  he  was  so  well  able  to  impart.  During  his 
long  connection  with  the  Church,  his  prominent  desire  was 
to  advance  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  congregation ;  and 
his  long  life  was  a  lovely  exemplification  of  the  hallowing 
effects  of  the  Religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  Of  him  we  may 
truthfully  say, 

1  He  sought  not  praise,  and  praise  did  overlook 

His  unobtrusive  merit ;  but  his  life, 
Sweet  to  himself,  was  exercised  in  good 
That  shall  survive  his  name  and  memory.' 

"While  pastor  in  Chambersburg,  and  during  a  series  of 
years,  he  served  faithfully  and  acceptably  as  teacher  of  the 
learned  languages  in  an  academy  in  the  place;  and  many  a 
youth  was  inspired  with  a  love  of  knowledge  under  his  cap- 
able instruction,  and  all  the  better  prepared  for  his  subse- 
quent career  and  life  work."  (Dr.  Murray.) 

There  still  remains  a  part  of  the  old  orchard,  (now  on 
the  property  occupied  by  Mrs.  M.  S.  King,  at  Third  and 
Market  Streets,)  then  the  property  of  Mr.  Denny,  from 
which,  says  Dr.  Lane,  "we  schoolboys  often  filled  our 
pockets  with  the  'forbidden  fruit.'" 

Mr.  Denny  was  very  happily  married,  July  25,  1793,  to 
Margaret  Lyon,  eldest  daughter  of  William  Lyon  by  his 
second  wife,.  Ann  Fleming,  of  Carlisle,  Pa.  She  died  about 
the  time  ot  his  retirement  from  his  ministry.  "She  was  a 
lady  of  superior  worth,  and  fond  partner  of  his  pilgrimage." 
Dr.  Murray  concludes  his  notice  of  Mr.  Denny  in  the  fol- 
lowing appreciative  words : 

"It  has  been  truthfully  and  beautifully  said  of  him,  that 
his  person,  cast  in  the  finest  mold  for  strength,  activity  and 
symmetry,  was  well  adapted  to  the  air  of  dignity  which 
nature  herself  had  impressed  upon  it.  His  mind  was  of  a 
strong  and  discerning  order,  always  governed  by  candor  and 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  8 1 

sincerity,  and  warmed  by  the  love  of  truth.  His  views 
were  expressed  in  the  language  of  simplicity  and  earnest- 
ness neither  adorned  nor  obscured  by  the  garnish  of  imagery 
or  the  flashes  of  rhetoric.  He  was  a  decided  Calvinist,  and 
conscientiously  attached  to  the  standards  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  Modesty  and  humility  were  interwoven 
with  the  very  texture  of  his  heart,  and  its  liveliest  sympathies 
were  always  in  expansion  for  the  sick,  the  suffering,  and 
the  desolate.  Neither  inclemency  of  weather  nor  transient 
illness  were  suffered  to  detain  him  from  the  exercises  of  the 
pulpit,  and  he  enjoyed,  in  no  ordinary  degree,  the  esteem 
and  affection  of  the  people  among  whom  he  had  so  long 
labored.  He  was  actuated  in  social  intercourse  by  a  manly, 
tolerant  and  liberal  spirit,  that  was  alike  enjoyable,  improv- 
ing, and  elevating.  He  was  an  honored  man,  whose  life 
and  character  could  not  but  have  both  a  present  and  future 
power  for  good  upon  the  community  where  he  spent  his 
ministry.  It  could  not  be  otherwise,  as  he  left  to  all  who 
stood  in  private  and  public  relations  to  him,  an  example  ot 
sterling  virtues,  which  they  can  never  cease  to  admire,  and 
whose  moulding  influence  is  perpetual.  In  addition  to  his 
active  inferest  in  other  Christian  enterprises,  he  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  formation  of  "The  Franklin  County 
Bible  Society,"  *which  was  organized  in  Chambersburg, 
December  12,  1814 — three  years  before  the  American  Bible 
Society  was  founded — and  it  embraced  some  of  the  very 
best  men  of  the  county,  clergy  and  laity,  among  its  officers 
and  members." 

In  the  History  of  Carlisle  Presbytery,  we  read  of  Mr. 
Denny,  that  "he  was  a  man  possessed  of  talents  of  a  high 
order,  and  had  a  well-balanced  mind,  and  his  was  a  charac- 
ter distinguished  for  great  excellence.  He  was  a  sincere 

*T  here  Is  a  notice  in  the  Chambersburg  Repository  of  July,  15,  1815,  of  a  sermon 
preached  by  the  Rev.  John  Lind  before  this  Society. 


82  THE    FALLING  SPRING 

and  ardent  lover  of  truth,  and  always  open  and  candid  in 
the  expression  of  his  views.  His  style  of  preaching  was 
noted  for  its  simplicity  and  earnestness,  rather  than  for 
rhetorical  finish  and  ornament.  Modesty  and  humility 
were  inherent  traits  of  his  character,  and  he  was  tender  and 
sympathetic  in  his  feelings  for  the  sick  and  the  afflicted,  the 
poor  and  the  suffering." 

During  Mr.  Denny's  time,  the  Sabbath  School  was  founded 
about  1816,  a  history  of  which  will  be  given  this  evening. 

Mr.  Denny  left  seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  one  of 
whom  became  the  wife  of  the  Hon.  Nathaniel  Ewing,  of 
Uniontown,  Pa.  This  lady's  granddaughter  is  the  wife  of 
Prof.  J.  J.  Stevenson,  of  New  York  City.  Two  other  daugh- 
ters of  Mr.  Denny  resided  here  until  they  died,  not  many  years 
ago,  leaving  a  memory  fragrant  with  good  works.  A  sister 
of  Mrs.  Danny,  Miss  Alice  Lyon,  became  the  wife  of  the 
Hon.  George  Chambers.  Her  descendants  are  with  us  to-day. 

The  Assembly's  Minutes  for  1825,  the  first  year  in  which 
statistics  are  given  in  detail,  show  that  during  that  year, 
the  membership  was  no,  that  52  infants  were  baptised,  and 
seven  adults;  that  $15.00  were  given  to  Foreign  Missions, 
and  $13.00  to  Theological  Seminaries. 

But  one  member  now  remains  on  our  Church  roll  of 
those  who  were  received  into  the  Church  during  those 
years,  Mrs.  Jane  Senseney,  who  was  received  May,  1838, 
just  a  month  after  Mr.  Denny  was  released  from  this  charge 
by  Presbytery. 


v. 

REV.  WILLIAM  ADAM,   1840  TO  1841. 

Mr.  Adam  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  May  15,  1800, 
being  the  son  of  John  and  Agnes  Minto  Adam,  and  a  cfe- 
scendsnt  of  the  elder  son  of  Sir  Gilbert  Elliot  Minto,  later 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  83 

Lord  Minto,  well-known  as  a  statesmen  of  ability  and  emi- 
nence in  Great  Britain  from  1774  to  1814.  Mr.  Adam 
early  united  with  the  Relief  Presbyterian  congregation  of 
Anderston,  Glasgow.  His  boyhood's  Pastor,  the  Rev. 
Gaven  Struthers,  D.  D.,  wrote,  on  the  occasion  ot  Mr. 
Adam's  coming  to  America,  that  he  had  been  a  lad  of  highly 
respectable  attainments  and  of  irreproachable  character. 
And  the  Rev.  James  Thomson,  D.  D.,  the  Professor  of 
Sacred  Theology  in  the  Relief  Divinity  Hall,  wrote  at  the 
same  time  that  Mr.  Adam  had  maintained  an  excellent 
character  from  his  earliest  years.  His  application  to  the 
studies  preparatory  for  the  ministry  was  the  result  of  his 
own  choice.  He  received  his  education  in  the  Languages 
and  Philosophy  in  the  University  of  Glasgow.  While 
there  he  received  a  medal  "for  superior  merit  in  the  Junior 
Mathematical  Class,  1823".*  He  entered  the  Relief  Di- 
vinity Hall  in  August,  1825,  and  attended  lectures  there 
for  four  successive  sessions,  where  he  showed  himself  to  be 
a  young  man  of  good  abilities.  Dr.  Thomson  "was  much 
pleased  with  his  piety,  diligence  and  progress  in  his 
studies."  Dr.  Thomson  some  years  after  that,  April  18, 
1838,  recommended  Mr.  Adam  to  American  Presbyterians 
"as  a  man  of  unblemished  reputation,  sound  in  the  faith, 
apt  to  teach,  and  a  highly  useful  and  acceptable  preacher  of 
the  Gospel."  He  had  a  long  period  of  probation,  but  for 
two  and  a  half  years  he  was  off  the  List  of  Preachers,  and 
seems  to  have  been  out  of  connection  with  the  Relief"  Church. 
On  October  7,  1834,  he  was  received  back  at  his  own  re- 
quest to  communion  and  to  his  place  as  a  Probationer. 
August  27,  1837,  Mr.  Adam  was  ordained  and  installed  by 
the  Relief  Presbytery  of  Dumfries,  as  Pastor  of  the  Relief 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Dumfries,  on  which  occasion  the 
Rev.  Archibald  Tudehope,  of  Annan,  known  to  some  in  our 

*This  medal  may  be  seen  in  the  Chapel. 


84  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

church  as  having  come  to  America  with  Mr.  Adam,  and 
later  Pastor  of  the  Ninth  Church,  Philadelphia,  "stated  the 
progress  ot  events,  proposed  the  usual  questions,  and  or- 
dained."* (It  may  be  mentioned  in  passing  that  the  Relief 
Presbytery  and  Synod  of  Scotland,  which  seceded  from  the 
Established  Church  in  1752,  held  the  doctrines  of  the 
Westminster  Confession  of  Faith,  with  the  exception  of 
the  chapters  relating  to  the  power  of  the  magistrate  in  re- 
ligious matters.  In  1847  it  united  itself  with  the  Associate 
Church,  thus  forming  what  has  since  been  known  as  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland.) 

Another  reason  given  by  Mr.  Adam  for  desiring  to  be  re- 
leased was  that  he  had  long  cherished  a  desire  to  come  to 
America,  regarding  it  as  a  field  of  usefulness  more  suited  to 
his  abilities,  and  he  felt  that  the  time  had  come  when  this 
hope  could  be  gratified. 

The  Rev.  Robert  Small,  D.  D.,  of  Edinburgh,  thus  writes: 
Dumfries  congregation  had  been  greatly  injured  by  Mr. 
Adam's  predecessor  going  over  to  the  Established  Church, 
and  taking  a  good  part  of  the  people  with  him.  The  stipend 
promised  Mr.  Adam  was  ^80,  with  £2  at  each  communion 
and  the  possession  of  the  Manse  at  the  following  Whitsun- 
day. But  before  Whitsunday  came  Mr.  Adam  tendered  his 
resignation,  March  13,  1838.  He  had  lost  all  hopes  of  doing 
good  in  Dumfries,  and  believed  that  the  interests  of  the  Relief 
Church  there  would  be  promoted  by  the  induction  of  another 
minister.  The  congregation  in  reply  complained  that  he 
had  not  given  Dumfries  a  long  enough  trial,  that  he  had  not 
tested  his  abilities  in  the  way  of  visiting  those  who  were  under 
his  ministry  or  friendly  disposed  to  the  Relief  cause,  while  they 
stated  that  his  labors  among  them  had  been  very  highly  es- 
teemed and  appreciated.  They  could  not  understand  how  their 

*Extract  from  Minutes  of  Relief  Presbytery  of  Dumfries,  attested,  April  19, 
1838,  by  Henry  Patterson,  Presbytery  Clerk. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  85 

interests  could  be  promoted  when  he  was  throwing  them  into 
the  greatest  confusion.  This  was  at  a  meeting-  held  April 
3,  1838.  They  left  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  the  Presby- 
tery, and  the  Presbytery  that  day  "loosed  Mr.  Adam  from 
his  charge,  and  agreed  to  give  him  a  ministerial  certificate." 
.Just  before  leaving  his  Dumfries  charge,  the  following 
paper  was  adopted  by  his  Church  and  congregation :  "Our 
esteemed  Pastor,  the  Rev.  William  Adam,  being  about  to 
leave  this  country  for  America,  we  cannot  allow' him  to  de- 
part without  expressing  oxir  unqualified  approbation  of  him 
as  a  man,  a  Christian,  and  a  minister.  He  came  among  us 
with  a  character  unspotted  as  a  man,  serious  as  a  Christian, 
and  eminent  as  a  preacher,  and  he  leaves  us  with  the  same 
high  character.  Under  his  ministry  we  progressed  much 
externally,  and  we  trust  also  internally.  Consequently  his 
departure  from  among  us  is  a  matter  of  deep  sorrow  and  re- 
gret. We  earnestly  wished  his  continuance  with  us,  and 
did  everything  in  our  power  to  retain  him.  But  having 
set  his  affections  on  America,  and  looking  on  it  as  a  better 
and  more  extensive  sphere  of  Christian  usefulness,  we 
could  not  prevail  upon  him  to  comply  with  our  ardent 
wishes.  Our  prayers  attend  him,  and  we  feel  assured  that 
go  where  he  may  he  shall  prove  himself  a  diligent,  a  faith- 
ful,  and  an  acceptable  minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Signed  in  name  and  by  au-  \  THOMAS  MOFFAT,  Clerk. 

thority  of  the  Session.       j  JAMES  WELSH,  Elder. 
Signed  in  name  and  by  au-\  THOMAS  BOBBIE,  Preses. 
thority  of  the  Managers.*  j  DAVID  REDMOND,  Treas. 
Relief  Church,  Dumfries,  28th  March,  1838." 

At  the  time  of  his  release  from  his  charge,  April  3,  1838, 
his  Presbytery  adopted  the  following :  "  At  the  date  hereof, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Adam,  to  the  surprise  and  grief  of  all  the 
Brethren,  having  from  conscientious  motives,  formally  ten- 

*  Trustees. 


86  THR  FALLING  SPRING 

dered  his  resignation  of  the  charge  of  his  congregation,  and 
given  reasons  for  so  doing,  still  petitioned  that  his  demis- 
sion might  be  accepted. 

"The  Presbytery  did  therefore,  with  deep  regret,  entertain 
the  above  application,  and  dissolve  the  pastoral  relations  sub- 
sisting between  him  and  his  people ;  but,  at  the  same  time, 
gladly  embrace  the  opportunity  of  bearing  testimony  to  the  un- 
blemished moral  and  religious  character  and  deportment  of 
their  respected  brother;  to  his  evangelical  and  Scriptural 
views  of  divine  things;  and  to  his  zeal  and  fidelity  in  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  good  of  immortal  souls." 

The  Rev.  Alex.  Neilson,  Minister  of  the  Relief  Church, 
Carluke,  also  testified  that  Mr.  Adam  was  "possessed  of  all 
the  qualities  which  constitute  the  gentleman,  and  the  higher 
qualities  which  form  the  Christian.  No  one,"  adds  Mr. 
Neilson,  "I  believe,  has  ever  left  the  religious  denomina- 
tion to  which  I  belong  with  more  ardent  admirers  of  his 
character,  and  I  doubt  not  but  that  he  will  secure  friends  as 
affectionately  attached  to  him,  wherever  he  may  go." 

The  Rev.  R.  Wilson,  minister  of  the.  Partick  Relief 
Church  near  Glasgow,  wrote  of  him,  among  other  things : 
"As  to  the  vigorous  and  faithful  discharge  of  Pastoral  duties, 
there  are  none  in  whom  I  could  repose  greater  confidence." 

The  Rev.  Gaven  Struthers,  already  quoted,  wrote:  "Mr. 
Adam  quits  his  native  country  without  a  stain.  The  breath 
of  suspicion  has  never  breathed  upon  his  reputation.  He  is 
universally  esteemed  as  a  Christian  minister.  He  has  much 
of  the  spirit  of  his  Master,  and  all  his  discourses  are  not 
only  tasteful  and  well  constructed,  but  full  of  unction,  sweet- 
ness and  winning  appeals." 

It  is  not  surprising  that  on  such  testimonials  as  I  have 
quoted  from,  Mr.  Adam  was  readily  received  under  the  care 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  when  he  presented  his  dis- 
missal from  the  Relief  Presbytery  of  Dumfries,  October  2 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  87 

and  3,  1839.  As  is  the  custom  with  ministers  coming  from 
other  bodies,  he  was  examined  on  Experimental  Religion, 
Theology,  Ecclesiastical  History  and  Church  Government, 
and  he  having  signified  his  approval  of  the  Standards  of 
our  Church,  his  examination  was  sustained. 

Meanwhile,  early  in  1839,  Mr.  Adam  began  to  supply  the 
pulpit  of  this  Church.  He  was  appointed  by  Presbytery  to 
preach  the  opening  sermon  at  its  session  in  Carlisle,  on  the 
second  Tuesday  in  April,  1839.  On  the  26th  of  September 
he  was  called  to  be  Pastor  of  this  Church,  at  a  salary  of 
"  eight  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  in  regular  half-yearly 
payments,  on  the  first  Mondays  of  April  and  October."* 
He  continued  to  supply  the  pulpit  from  September  1839 
until  May  2,  1840,  when  he  was  regularly  installed  Pastor. 
He  was  released  from  this  charge,  April  13,  1841,  being 
compelled  to  resign  on  account  of  a  serious  throat  trouble. 
On  that  same  day  he  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Huntingdon.  He  then  went  back  to  Scotland  for  a  visit, 
returning  somewhat  improved  in  health.  He  was  received 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Huntingdon,  May  24,  1842,  and  ac- 
cepted calls  to  the  Churches  of  Sinking  Creek  and  Spring 
Creek,  in  Penn's  Valley,  Centre  Co.,  Pa.  He  was  installed 
there  May  25,  1842.  He  was  released  from  that  charge 
October  7,  1845,  and  given  permission  to  labor  outside  the 
Presbytery.  He  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Balti- 
more, April  8,  1851,  but  there  is  no  record  of  his  having 
presented  his  letter  to  that  Presbytery. 

Mr.  Adam's  voice  failed  him  for  many  years  previous  to 
his  death,  which  obliged  him  to  give  up  preaching.  He 
then  opened  a  book-store  on  Pennsylvania  Ave.,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  where  he  sold  only  books  of  a  religious  nature. 
He  attended  the  New  York  Ave.  Church  for  many  years, 
and  later  connected  himself  with  the  Central  Church,  be- 

*From  the  original  call  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Adam's  heirs. 


88  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

longing  to  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  whose  Pastor 
was  and  still  is  the  Rev.  A.  W.  Pitzer,  D.  D. 

An  intimate  triend  of  Mr.  Adam's,  Mr.  William  Ballantyne 
of  Washington,  D.  C.,  writes  that  in  the  year  1852  Mr. 
Adam  kept  the  book-store  above  mentioned  on  Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue,  and  attended  the  sains  church  with  Mr. 
Ballantyne.  "After  a  few  years  he  retired  from  business, 
having  accumulated  a  moderate  fortune.  His  health  was 
always  poor.  He  lived  in  comtort,  but  very  quietly,  and 
was  most  regular  in  his  habits.  For  years  before  his  death 
no  one  was  more  regular  in  his  attendance  upon  the  Daily 
Prayer  Meeting.  He  made  but  few  friends,  and  those  he 
had  were  very  dear.  Having  never  married,  he  boarded  in 
a  private  family.  When  on  his  death-bed  he  was  attended 
by  a  sister  who  lived  in  Norfolk,  Va."  He  also  left  a 
brother,  Mr.  Richard  Adam,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  to  whose 
widow  we  are  greatly  indebted  for  much  information. 

He  is  described  by  those  here  who  remember  him,  as  a 
man  of  social  nature,  and  as  a  most  gifted  sermonizer. 

Toward  the  end  of  Mr.  Adam's  life  he  suffered  much  from 
heart  disease  and  a  complication  of  troubles  that  rendered 
him  an  invalid  for  several  years.  He  died  in  Washington, 
D.  C.,  July  28,  1883.  His  remains  were  taken  to  Rich- 
mond, Va.,  by  a  special  request  made  to  his  brother  some 
years  previous,  and  now  side  by  side  the  two  brothers  rest 
in  the  beautiful  Hollywood  Cemetery. 

I  close  this  sketch  of  Mr.  Adam  with  a  brief  statement 
made  by  himself  in  May,  1876.  "Having  on  the  fifteenth 
day  of  this  month  entered  upon  the. seventy-seventh  year  of 
my  life,  and  believing  that  I  cannot  much  longer  be  a 
sojourner  here  below,  I  desire  to  state  to  you  my  prospects 
for  another.  I  trust  and  believe  there  is  a  better  world  be- 
yond the  grave.  And  here  at  the  commencement  of  this 
communication  I  would  state  clearly  and  explicitly  that  I 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  89 

have  no  hope  in  myseli  or  in  any  thing  I  have  done  or  can 
do  as  the  ground  of  my  salvation  and  acceptance  with  God. 
I  believe  that  a  man  can  no  more  redeem  himself  than  he 
can  create  himself;  that  self-salvation  is  just  as  impossible 
as  self-creation ;  that  the  one  is  as  much  beyond  the  power 
of  man  as  the  other ;  that  consequently  both  are  dependent 
upon  God.  It  is  upon  God,  therefore,  through  the  great 
Redeemer,  that  I  look  for  salvation.  There  is  none  other 
name  given  under  heaven  or  amongst  men  whereby  sinners 
can  be  saved.  This  alone  I  believe  is  solid  as  well  as 
Scriptural  ground  on  which  to  stand,  as  the  following  pas- 
sages of  Scripture  most  clearly  declare:  John  i:  11-13; 
Gal.  3 :  26 ;  i  John  5:1;  Rom.  10 :  9." 

Mrs.  McElroy  Shively,  of  Scotland,  is  the  only  member 
left  on  our  roll  of  those  who  were  received  into  our  Church 
during  Mr.  Adam's  pastorate. 


VI. 
REV.  DANIEL  M'KINI.EY,  D.  D.,   1841  TO  1850. 

Dr.  McKinley  was  born  in  Carlisle,  in -the  fall  of  1801. 
Living  with  his  widowed  mother  in  the  country,  when  only 
eight  years  old  he  went  out  alone  into  a  field,  and  kneeling 
down,  prayerfully  and  deliberately  gave  himself  to  God,  to 
be  used  by  Him,  in  whatever  way  would  most  redound  to 
His  glory.  His  boyhood  was  wellnigh  blameless.  He  was 
known  among  his  fellows  as  the  peace-maker,  and  when 
not  successful  in  his  efforts  would  leave  the  scene  of  con- 
flict. His  mother  seldom,  if  ever,  had  cause  to  reprove 
him,  and  could  well  say  he  never  caused  her  a  single  heart- 
ache. He  early  united  with  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Carlisle,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Geo. 
Duffield.  His  piety  was  so  marked  and  his  talents  so 
promising,  that  Dr.  Duffield  advised  his  studying  for  the 


THE   FALLING   SPRING 


ministry.     He  entered  Dickinson  College,  and  was  graduated 

therefrom  in  1824  under 
the  presidency  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  John  M.  Mason. 

The  history  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Carlisle  con- 
tains in  part  the  following 
sketch  of  Dr.  McKinley: 
"From  the  beginning 
of  his  religious  life  he  was 
a  great  lover  of  ministers, 
missionaries  and  the  cause 
of  missions,  and  the  bur- 
den of  his  prayers  was  that 
God  would  raise  up  and 
send  forth  more  laborers 
into  the  harvest.  During 
his  course  in  Dickinson 
College,  that  extensive 

revival  of  religion  took  place,  which  arose  in  connection 
with  the  death  and  funeral  services  of  the  son  of  Dr.  John 
M.  Mason,  and  which  pervaded  the  College  and  the  Church 
at  that  time  and  in  the  promotion  of  which  young  McKinley 
took  an  active  and  most  efficient  part,  and  whose  efforts,  in 
connection  with  this  work,  were  untiring  and  most  valuable. 
Dr.  Duffield  is  known  to  have  referred  frequently  to  his 
labors  at  this  time,  and  to  have  remarked  that  he  had  rarely 
or  never  known  one  of  his  years  so  competent  and  successful 
in  the  matter  of  directing  inquiring,  souls  to  the  Saviour." 

He  took  a  lull  course  at  Princeton  Seminary,  and  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  September  29,  1826. 
On  October  30,  1827,  ne  was  ordained  and  installed  Pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Bedford,  Pa.,  Dr.  Duffield 
preaching  the  ordination  sermon.  He  remained  at  Bedford 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  91 

until  he  was  released  by  Presbytery,  September  28,  1831. 
"In  this  Church  he  labored  earnestly  and  successfully  for 
four  years,  when  he  was  compelled,  by  reason  of  the  de- 
velopment of  a  bronchial  affection,  which  proved  to  be  the 
plague  of  all  his  after  life,  to  seek  a  dissolution  of  his 
pastoral  relation  and  to  desist  from  ministerial  duties  for  a 
period  of  about  two  years.  The  church  at  Bedford,  while 
not  blessed  with  any  special  season  of  grace,  was  steadily 
strengthened  and  built  up  under  his  faithful  and  zealous 
ministry,  and  he  became  greatly  endeared  to  the  people  as 
their  Pastor,  and  it  was  with  the  deepest  reluctance  that 
they  yielded  to  the  necessity  for  the  dissolution  of  the  pas- 
toral relation. 

"It  was  at  this  time,  in  1833,  that  the  Second  Presby- 
terian Church  in  Carlisle  was  organized.  The  attention  ot 
this  people-  was  at  once  turned  to  Mr.  McKinley,  and  as  he 
had  become  encouraged  by  the  improved  state  of  his  health, 
a  call  was  made  out  for  his  services,  which  he  accepted,  and 
was  duly  installed  Pastor  of  this  Church  on  August  7,  1833, 
and  remained  until  July  31,  1838."  Among  the  eldership 
were  several  who  had  been  his  Sabbath  School  teachers. 
In  this  reversal  of  positions,  they  never  failed  to  accord 
him  full  honor  and  devotion.  Here  as  elsewhere  he  was  re- 
garded with  peculiar  love  by  the  young.  They  recognized 
how  much  he  had  their  good  at  heart,  how  earnestly  he 
longed  to  see  them  "remember  their  Creator  in  the  days  of 
their  youth,"  and  they  often  of  their  own  accord  sought 
his  counsel  and  help.  Many  still  living  can  rise  up  and  call 
him  blessed,  while  many  more  now  join  with  him  in  the 
new  song  sung  around  the  throne  of  the  Lamb.  In  the 
sick  chamber  his  sympathy  and  prayers  always  brought 
comfort  to  the  sufferer.  In  the  inquiry  room  the  Holy 
Spirit  so  inspired  his  words  and  prayers  that  many  were 
won  to  make  choice  of  the  Saviour.  "He  continued  in 


92  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

this  relationship  for  about  five  years.  His  ministry  was 
earnest,  zealous  and  eminently  successful.  Special  seasons 
of  religious  interest  occurred  at  different  intervals,  and  dur- 
ing his  pastorate  of  five  years  seventy-six  were  added  to  the 
Church  on  profession  of  their  faith.  The  Church  had  be- 
come firmly  established  under  his  ministry,  and  he  left  it  in 
a  healthy  and  prosperous  condition,  having  greatly  endeared 
himself  to  the  people,  and  won  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  all  classes  in  the  community. 

"It  was  at  this  time  that  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
was  organized,  and  efforts  were  then  being  made  to  arouse 
the  Churches  to  a  liberal  and  general  support  of  this  agency 
of  the  church  for  the  evangelization  of  the  heathen  world, 
and  Mr.  McKinley,  on  account  of  his  known  zeal  in  the 
missionary  cause,  and  general  fitness  for  the  work,  was  se- 
lected as  the  person  to  act  as  general  agent  and  was  urged 
accept  the  appointment.  This  he  consented  to  do,  and  was 
released  from  his  pastoral  charge  accordingly,  on  July  31, 
1838,  and  for  more  than  three  years,  (until  1841,)  he  plead 
the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions  with  great  zeal,  earnestness 
and  success.  His  efforts  in  this  connection  contributed 
greatly -to  the  advancement  of  the  cause  and  made  a  deep 
and  lasting  impression  upon  the  Churches  of  his  own  Pres- 
bytery as  well  as  the  Church  at  large.  He  laid  special 
emphasis  upon  the  duty  of  professing  Christians  laying 
aside  every  week,  according  as  the  Lord  had  prospered 
them,  and  of  contributing  systematically  a  certain  propor- 
tion of  their  income  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  He  became 
thus  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  matter  of  systematic 
beneficence. 

"In  the  fall  of  1841,  Dr.  McKinley  was  called  to  become 
the  Pastor  of  the  Falling-Spring  Church,  which  call  he  ac- 
cepted, was  installed  November  5,  1841,  and  continued  in 
charge  of  the  same  for  about  nine  years.  He  returned  to 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  93 

the  pastoral  work  with  great  zeal  and  earnestness.  He  was 
a  faithful  and  pungent  preacher  of  the  gospel,  and  an  affec- 
tionate and  devoted  Pastor.  In.  about  a  year  after  his  in- 
stallation a  gracious  and  powerful  revival  of  religion  took 
place  in  the  congregation,  the  results  of  which  were  perma- 
nent and  most  salutary  in  the  Church  and  community.  At 
the  ensuing  communion  thirty-two  were  added  to  the 
Church  on  profession  of  their  faith,  and  a  great  impulse 
was  given  to  vital  religion  in  the  congregation.  His  pas- 
torate in  this  Church  was  eminently  faithful  and  successful, 
and  during  the  nine  years  of  its  continuance,  one  hundred 
and  four  were  added  to  the  church  on  profession  of  faith." 

In  1846,  he  was  very  instrumental,  in  connection  with 
the  late  Robert  Black,  of  Fayetteville,  in  arresting  "the 
downward  tendency"  of  the  work  of  our  Church  at 
Fayetteville.  "October  a,  1850,  he  asked  to  be  released 
from  the  Falling  Spring  Church,  [and  was%  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Ohio,]  in  order  to  take  charge  of  a  new  en- 
terprise in  Pittsburg,  the  Sixth  Church,  and  one  which  it 
was  thought  would  be  a  field  for  which  he  had  special 
adaptedness.  In  this,  however,  his  expectations  and  those 
of  his  triends  were  not  fully  realized.  Owing  to  the  general 
discouragements  incident  to  new  organizations,  at  the  end 
of  the  first  year's  labors  there,  he  asked  to  be  released  and 
returned  again  to  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  October 
22,  1852. 

"The  Church  at  Middletown  had  been  recently  organized, 
and  the  Presbytery  enlisted  the  services  of  Mr.  McKinley 
in  its  behalf,  and  he  was  induced  to  visit  the  Churches  and 
solicit  aid  for  its  establishment,  and,  by  reason  of  his  per- 
sonal ministry  in  that  congregation  and  the  contributions 
he  secured  for  its  advancement,  that  Church  gave  promise 
of  soon  becoming  one  of  the  self-sustaining  congregations 
of  the  Presbytery.  This  expectation  however  failed  to  be 


94  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

realized,  and  largely  it  is  believed  for  want  of  unity  of  feel- 
ing and  co-operation  upon  the  part  of  some  of  its  officers 
and  members. 

"  After  spending  a  year  in  this  service  Dr.  McKinley  was 
induced  to  become  agent  and  itinerant  missionary  for  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions.  This  was  a  two-fold  work  for 
which  he  had  special  qualifications,  had  his  health  been 
sufficient  for  its  earnest  and  vigorous  prosecution.  As  it 
was  the  Board,  with  melancholy  pleasure,  bore  their  united 
and  recorded  testimony  to  his  eminent  piety,  zeal  and  use- 
fulness, as  one  of  their  most  efficient  and  devoted  agents,  as 
he  had  been  previously  a  devoted  and  useful  Pastor. 

"His  zealous  labors  as  an  evangelist  and  as  an  agent  for 
the  Board,  together  with  the  exposure  to  which  he  was  con- 
tinually subject,  in  a  short  time  developed  and  brought  on 
again  with  increased  severity,  his  old  bronchial  trouble. 

"In  this,  his  last  sphere  of  ministerial  labor,  he  was, 
however,  instrumental  of  great  good.  He  knew  not  how  to 
spare  himself  when  seasons  of  spiritual  awakening  in  the 
Churches  took  place.  He  was  active  and  zealous  in  a  number 
of  extensive  revivals  of  religion  in  several  of  the  Presby- 
teries of  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  especially  in  the 
churches  of  Waynesboro,  Newton  Hamilton,  Sinking  and 
Spring  Creek,  Lower  Tuscarora,  I/ewistown  and  other 
Churches  of  Huntingdon  Presbytery,  and  also  in  a  number 
of  churches  in  Donegal  and  New  Castle  Presbyteries.  In 
these  revival  scenes  he  took  great  interest.  He  was  always, 
in  every  sphere  of  ministerial  labor,  zealous  and  active,  and 
always  exerting  himself  beyond  his  strength,  but  in  these 
revival  scenes  he  was  unwilling  to  desist  whilst  there  was 
any  evidence  of  the  special  presence  and  saving  efficacy  of 
God's  Spirit.  He  was  very  kind,  and  attentive,  and  attrac- 
tive to  inquiring  souls,  and  greatly  blessed  in  directing 
them  into  the  way  of  peace  and  holiness.  His  services  at 


•      PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  95 

such  times  were  always  eagerly  sought  and  highly  prized  by 
his  brethren  and  greatly  enjoyed  by  the  people. 

"In  the  spring  of  1855,  by  reason  of  his  arduous  labors 
of  the  preceding  winter,  and  on  account  of  the  return  of 
his  old  bronchial  affection,  aggravated  by  other  painful  and 
serious  maladies,  his  health,  under  the  progress  of  his 
disease,  which  baffled  the.  best  medical  skill,  steadily  de- 
clined during  the  summer.  His  bronchial  affection  during 
the  later  stages  of  his  sickness,  almost  entirely  prevented 
his  engaging  in  conversation.  But  through  all  his  sickness 
and  suffering  he  gave  unmistakable  evidence  of  resignation, 
and  faith,  and  hope,  and  his  last  end  was  peace.  He  had 
gone  to  Chambersburg  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  attend 
the  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Baltimore,  which  was  to  con- 
vene there  in  October,  but  here,  by  reason  of  his  rapid 
decline,  he  was  detained  to  die,  and  to  enter  upon  his  eternal 
rest,  and  the  enjoyment  of  his  gracious  and  glorious  re- 
ward." He  died  on  his  birthday,  December  7,  1855. 

"  Dr.  McKinley  was  a  man  whose  heart,  all  his  life  long, 
was  thoroughly  enlisted  in  the  great  work  of  extending 
Christ's  kingdom.  He  was  a  man  of  eminent  piety,  and  of 
a  pure  and  consecrated  life."  "He  gave  every  evidence  of 
a  truly  good  man,  according  to  the  high  standard  of  the 
Christian  calling.  In  all  places  wherever  he  was  known, 
among  saints  and  sinners,  there  has  been  but  one  opinion 
as  to  the  depth  and  fervor  of  his  piety — a  piety  which 
evinced  itself  in  very  early  youth.  He  was  kind,  affection- 
ate and  attractive  in  aspect  and  address.  He  had  large 
views  of  the  duties  of  the  Church,  and  of  society." 

"  He  was  in  his  day  a  practical  and  pungent  preacher  of 
the  gospel,  a  zealous  and  ardent  advocate  of  the  cause  of 
missions,  both  home  and  foreign.  He  was  a  firm  believer 
in  revivals  of  religion,  and  labored  and  prayed  that  he 
might  be  instrumental  in  their  promotion.  In  every  de- 


96  THE  FALLING  SPRING 

partment  of  uiinisterial  labor  in  which  he  engaged,  he 
generally  had  the  seal  and  approval  which  comes  from  the 
blessing  of  God."  To  the  very  close  of  his  life,  his  ser- 
vices were  in  demand  wherever  there  were  indications  of 
a  revival.  A  brother  minister  remarked  that  his  course 
through  Carlisle  Presbytery  as  well  as  other  Presbyteries 
could  be  traced  not  only  by  increased  gifts  but  by  a  large 
harvest  of  souls. 

In  1844,  this  Church  had  enrolled  130  communicants,  and 
in  1850,  this  number  had  grown  to  170. 

Dr.  McKinley's  remains  lie  buried  in  the  old  graveyard 
at  Carlisle,  under  a  stone  erected  to  his  memory  by  the 
members  of  the  Falling  Spring  Church. 

"On  May  31,  1827,  ne  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  Wyeth,  of  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  who  died  January  15, 
1892.  By  her  he  had  two  daughters,  one,  the  intelligent 
and  accomplished  wife  of  the  Rev.  James  F.  Kennedy,  D.  D., 
the  other  died  in  early  childhood." 


VII. 
REV.  JOSEPH  CLARK,  1852  TO  1857. 

For  the  facts  about  Mr.  Clark  I  am  mainly  indebted  to 
notices  published  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  near  Carlisle,  Pa.,  October  n,  1825. 
He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  Clark, 
Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians,  who  came  to  this  country  from 
Ireland  in  1739,  and  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Carlisle. 
Robert  Clark,  the  grandson  of  Joseph,  was  twice  married. 
By  his  second  wife  there  were  three  sons,  the  oldest  of 
whom  was  the  Rev.  Joseph  Clark,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
He  had  the  advantage  of  being  reared  in  a  Christian  family, 
and  at  the  early  age  of  sixteen  united  with  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Carlisle,  then  under  the  pastoral 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


97 


care  of  the  Rev.  T.  V.  Moore,  and  where  his  father  was  a 
Ruling  Elder.  He  received  his  preparatory  education  in 
New  Bloomfield,  Perry 
County,  Pa.,  where  he 
soon  declared  his  inten- 
tion to  study  for  the  min- 
istry. He  entered  Mar- 
shall College,  then  at  Mer- 
cersburg,  Pa.,  in  1845, 
whence  he  was  graduated 
in  September,  1848,  with 
the  highest  honors  ot  his 
class,  delivering  the 
"Marshall  Oration."  From 
Mercersburg  he  went  to 
Allegheny,  and  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Western 
Theological  Seminary  in 
the  spring  of  1851.  On 
June  n,  1851,  he  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Carlisle.  Soon  alter 
this  (September  14,  1851,)  he  was  invited  to  fill  the  pulpit 
of  the  Falling  Spring  Church,  and  so  acceptable  were  his 
services  to  the  congregation  that  they  soon  tendered  him  a 
call.  June  3,  1852,  he  was  ordained  and  installed  as  pastor. 
He  discharged  his  duties  with  great  acceptance  until  Octo- 
ber 7,  1857,  when  he  was  released  by  Presbytery,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  disease  of  the  throat  which  rendered  it  hazardous 
for  him  to  continue  longer  in  the  practice  of  public  speak- 
ing. It  is  said  that  before  he  could  be  induced  to  relinquish 
his  work  as  a  minister,  even  upon  eminent  medical  advice, 
his  disease  had  become  so  violent  that  he  was  frequently 
obliged  to  stop  in  the  midst  .of  a  discourse  and  leave  it 


98  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

unfinished,  as  it  would  have  endangered  his  life  to  have 
proceeded  any  further. 

Mr.  Clark  then  sought  to  recruit  his  shattered  health  and 
gain  a  livelihood  by  engaging  in  a  mechanical  pursuit.  He 
erected  and  managed  a  planing  mill,  showing  the  same 
spirit  of  enterprise  and  energy  as  formerly  he  did  in  his 
ministerial  work.  Though  out  of  real  sympathy  with  this 
secular  work,  and  regarding  it  as  a  providential  necessity, 
he  sought  to  be  satisfied  with  it,  doing  what  he  had  lound 
to  do  with  his  might,  and  continued  in  the  active  prosecu- 
tion of  his  business  until  the  week  of  his  death.  When- 
ever his  strength  permitted,  and  he  was  called  upon  to  do 
so,  he  preached  the  Word.  With  improved  general  health 
Mr.  Clark  longed  to  return  to  the  direct  employment  of  his 
mental  gifts  in  the  service  of  Christ.  He  could  hardly  hope 
to  sustain  the  tax  and  strain  of  regular  preaching  and  pas- 
toral work.  He  therefore  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing 
a  Theological  and  Scientific  Review  for  the  defence  and 
promulgation  of  truth.  He  planned  and  prayed,  he  labored 
and  talked  and  wrote  in  the  interest  of  such  a  journal.  But 
all  in  vain.  For  his  apparently  premature  death  brought 
all  those  plans  to  an  end. 

Almost  the  last  work  of  his  life  was  to  prepare  an  address 
for  the  national  day  of  humiliation  and  fasting, — an  address 
which  it  was  not  permitted  him  to  deliver,  for  the  hand 
that  penned  it  was  soon  after  crushed,  and  the  voice  that 
was  to  have  delivered  it  was  hushed  in  death.  He  met 
with  a  painful  accident,  Monday,  June  5,  1865,  and  on  the 
following  Friday,  June  9,  death  came,  unexpectedly  to  all, 
even  to  himself.  On  the  following  Sabbath  morning,  im- 
pressive funeral  services  were  held  in  this  Church,  on  which 
occasion  the  Revs.  B.  S.  Schneck,  I.  N.  Hays,  and  W.  A. 
West  paid-  fitting  and  touching  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
their  departed  brother. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  .  99 

Mr.  Clark's  death  was  a  loss  not  tully  measurable,  to  the 
Church,  and  to  the  world  ot  letters  as  well.  When  a  boy 
he  gave  evidence  of  great  and  diversified  talents.  Even  as 
an  under-graduate  he  was  counted  a  brilliant  essayist.  He 
was  thorough,  not  merely  in  some,  but  in  all  the  branches 
of  study  in  the  college  course.  The  ease  with  which  he 
gained  and  retained  and  used  knowledge,  gave  him  a  repu- 
tation both  with  fellow-students  and  professors.  His  read- 
ing and  study  embraced  books  outside  those  used  in  the 
course,  and  he  frequently  wandered  off  into  broader  fields 
of  science,  literature,  and  art.  His  mind,  vigorous  and 
well— trained,  digested  and  held  available  what  he  learned. 
Thus  he  could  "bring  out  of  his  treasures  things  new  and 
old."  His  mind  has  been  characterized  as  one  of  uncom- 
mon power  and  originality,  and  of  fearless  independence  of 
thought  and  action.  Those  who  listened  to  his  preaching 
describe  his  sermons  as  being  "solid  as  granite  and  clear  as 
a  block  of  ice,"  lull  of  earnest  logical  thought,  and  fresh 
and  interesting  treatment,  occasionally  breaking  out  into  a 
strain  of  rugged,  peculiar  eloquence  which  had  a  charm  all 
its  own.  And  Mr.  Clark  not  only  preached  many  good  ser- 
mons; he  made  addresses  before  literary  institutions,  and 
furnished  learned  criticisms  and  brilliant  essays  for  the  most 
prominent  reviews  and  journals  of  the  land,  winning  the 
highest  praises  from  the  wise  men  of  his  day.  He  delighted 
to  grapple  with  abstruse  theories  and  doctrines.  In  some 
of  his  investigations  he  startled  what  he  was  pleased  to  call 
"the  orthodox  camp,'1  by  the  boldness  and  originality  of 
his  views.  Yet  in  all  his  speculations,  such  as  men  who 
think  for  themselves  must  at  times  indulge  in,  there  were 
visible  evidences  of  strong  religious  convictions  and  abid- 
ing faith  in  the  truth  of  God's  Word.  Yet,  while  firm  and 
fearless  when  he  felt  he  was  right,  there  was  a  certain  modesty 
that  made  him  shrink  from  making  himself  conspicuous. 


100  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

The  following  is  a  partial  list  of 'some  of  his  publications: 
in  the  Princeton  Review  of  1862,  one  article  on  "The  His- 
tory and  Theory  of  Revolutions ;"  and  in  1863,  one  on  "The 
Skepticism  of  Science,"  both  of  which  attracted  consider- 
able attention  at  the  time;  in  the  Mercersburg  Review. 
Bailey's  Festus,  Eureka,  Persecution  of  Philosophy,  Francis 
Jeffrey,  The  Strong  Character,  Some  of  Our  Popular  Amuse- 
ments, Two  Funerals,  Conybeare's  Life  of  St.  Paul,  Cony- 
beare's  Epistles  of  St.  Paul,  Historical  Pretensions  of  Free 
Masonry,  Chief  Justice  Gibson,  Hugh  Miller,  Hugh  Miller 
as  a  Geologist.* 

Those  who  knew  Mr.  Clark  describe  him  as  gentlemanly 
in  all  his  deportment,  and  kind  in  all  his  relations  to  his 
fellowmen.  He  never  seemed  vain  of  his  superior  talents 
and  learning,  nor  uncharitable  to  others.  His  ill  health  did 
not  make  him  irritable  or  impatient.  While  an  earnest 
thinker,  he  was  not  morose.  He  was  reserved  without 
being  cold.  In  the  circle  of  his  familiars,  he  was  exceed- 
ingly companionable  and  pleasant. 

As  a  Christian,  he  realized  that  without  saving  faith, 
there  could  be  no  strong,  symmetrical  character.  Without 
this,  talent  and  genius  are  either  dangerous  or  perverted 
gifts,  or  both.  And  with  him, greatness  and  goodness  could 
be  united  only  in  the  man  of  strong  head  and  pure  heart, 
both  renewed  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Mr.  Clark's  heart  was  in  this  Church,  his  first  and  only 
charge.  He  sought  its  welfare  in  every  possible  way.  He 

lent  his  skillful  hand  and  active  brain.     The   Church   was 

/ 

enlarged  during  his  ministry  by  adding  to  its  front  the  ves- 
tibules and  several  feet  to  its  length.  Mr.  Clark  himself 
was  so  eager  and  interested  in  this,  that  he  used  the  hammer 
upon  many  a  stone.  To  him  also  we  are  indebted  for  the 

"This  list  Is  secured  through  the  kindness  of  the  Kev.    VV.  C.  Cremer,  of  our 
town. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  IOI 

only  roll  of  the  then  members  now  extant,  he  having  pre- 
pared it  with  as"  great  accuracy  as  he  could  from  incomplete 
data  in  his  hands.  Mr.  Clark  prefixed  the  following  note 
to  the  register  of  communicants:  "  It  is  very  much  to  be 
regretted  that  this  Register  must  necessarily  be  so  imperfect. 
As  was  customary  in  many  of  the  old  Churches  of  this 
region,  the  records  of  this  Church  in  its  early  days  were 
kept  in  so  loose  and  temporary  a  form  that  they  soon  be- 
came scattered  and  lost.  The  records  of  Presbytery  show 
that  the  organization  of  Falling  Spring  Church  took  place 
shortly  previous  to  the  year  1739.  From  the  time  of  its 
organization  not  a  trace  of  its  communicant  members  is  now 
to  be  found,  until  the  year  1821.  In  this  way  the  names  of 
many  worthy  and  pious  persons — the  pioneers  ot  this 
region — have  been  lostrto  the  Church.  The  present  Regis- 
ter begins  with  1821,  with  the  list  drawn  up  by  the  Rev. 
David  Denny,  of  its  then  existing  members.  Of  many  of 
these  the  times  of  their  admission  to  the  Church  are  not 
given,  nor  is  it  now  possible  to  give  the  times  of  their 
decease  or  the  places  of  their  removal.  No  Register  was 
kept  during  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  William  Adam,  1839 
to  1841.  The  deficiency  is  very  imperfectly  supplied  from 
testimony. 

"May  the  Lord  add  many  to  this  Church  'of  such  as 
shall  be  saved.' 

(Signed)         "JOSEPH  CLARK,  Pastor." 
" Chambersburg,  Pa.,  October,  1852." 

The  membership  of  the  Church  at  the  beginning  and 
end  of  Mr.  Clark's  pastorate  was  as  follows:  in  1852,  193 
members;  in  1857,  211  members.  In  1857,  for  the  first 
time,  special  mention  is  also  made  of  colored  communicants, 
of  whom  there  were  in  that  year  three. 


IO2 


THE   FALLING   SPRING 


VIII. 
REV.  LAMBERT  SUYDAM  FINE,   1858  TO  1859. 

Mr.  Fine  was  born  at  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  in  1832,  and 
was  graduated  from  Hamilton  College,  N.  Y.,  in  1854. 
He  took  the  full  three  years'  course  in  Princeton  Seminary 
and  was  graduated  therefrom  in  the.  spring  of  1858.  He 
began  to  preach  here  January  5,  1858,  was  received  by  the 

Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  as 
a  licentiate  from  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Philadelphia, 
April  14,  1858,  and  on 
May  19,  1858,  was  or- 
dained and  installed  Pas- 
tor of  the  Falling  Spring 
Church,  remaining  as  its 
Pastor  until  released  by 
Presbytery,  June  15, 
1859.  His  ministry  here 
ceased  October  3,  1859. 
He  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Geneva,  N. 
Y.,  October  3,  1860.  He 
served  the  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Penn  Yan,  N. 
Y.,  as  Stated  Supply, 

during  the  winter  of  1859-60,  and  until  November  21,  1860, 
when  he  was  received  into  the  Geneva  Presbytery  by  letter 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  and  installed  Pastor  of  the 
Church  at  Penn  Yan.  He  was  released  from  that  Church 
by  his  Presbytery,  June  u,  1861.  He  supplied  for  a  time 
the  Churches  at  Sonora,  Cal.,  Liberty,  Ohio,  and  Paris  Hill, 
N.  Y.,  and  at  Troy,  Pa.  He  died  at  the  last  named  place, 
March  5,  1869,  of  pneumonia  brought  on  by  over-exertion 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  103 

at  a  fire.  On  June  9,  1868,  the  Presbytery  of  Geneva 
adopted  the  following  resolutions: — "Whereas,  the  Rev.  L. 
S.  Fine,  a  member  of  this  Presbytery,  has,  since  our  last 
Stated  Meeting,  been  called  from  this  life,  we  hereby  express 
our  humble  recognition  of  the  divine  hand  in  this  bereave- 
ment; our  appreciation  of  his  kindly  and  Christian  character, 
and  our  thanks  to  God  for  this  illustration  of  His  recovering 
and  sustaining  grace. 

"Resolved,  That  we  hereby  tender  our  deep  and  hearty 
sympathy  to  the  widow  of  our  departed  brother  in  her  great 
bereavement,  and  pray  that  the  God  ot  all  comfort  may  ever 
have  her  and  her  orphan  children  in  His  blessed  and  holy 
keeping." 

During  Mr.  Fine's  short  pastorate  here,  he  and  his  family 
made  many  dear  friends,  who  cherish  the  memory  to-day  of 
the  kindly  relations  existing  between  them. 

For  the  years  1858  and  1859  the  membership  stood  at  217. 
Special  mention  is  also  made  of  colored  communicants,  two 
in  1858,  and  four  in  1859. 

For  the  year  ending  April  i,  1860,  during  most  of  which 
time  the  pulpit  was  vacant,  the  number  of  communicants 
reported  was  216. 


We  come  now  to  the  pastorates  of  brethren  who  are  still 
living,  honored  and  beloved  by  their  friends  in  this  Church 
and  congregation.  You  will  understand  the  embarrassment 
of  attempting  to  give  more  in  their  presence  than  the 
barest  outlines  of  their  life  and  work  among  us.  May  the 
day  be  long  distant  when  it  shall  be  incumbent  upon  any 
one  to  write  more  fully  and  freely  of  their  noble  work  and 
faithful  labors  while  here ! 


104 


THE   FALLING   SPRING 


IX. 
REV.  SAMUEL  JACK  NICCOLLS,  D.  D.,   1860  TO  1864. 

Mr.  Niccolls  was  born  August  3,  1838,  on  what  is  known 
as  the  Greenfield  Farm,  in  Westmoreland  county,  Pa.,  being 
the  only  child  of  William  Todd  and  Eliza  (Jack)  Niccolls. 
His  preparatory  studies  were  finished  at  the  Eldersridge 

Academy,  and  his  college 
education  was  completed 
at  Jefferson  College, 
whence  he  was  graduated 
in  1857.  He  took  the 
full  three  years'  course  at 
the  Western  Theological 
Seminary  at  Allegheny, 
Pa.,  leaving  that  institu- 
tion in  the  spring  of  1860. 
He  was  licensed  to  preach 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Red- 
stone in  1859,  and  in  July, 
1860.  was  called  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Falling 
Spring  Church.  He  com- 
menced his  labors  here 
September  14,  1860,  was 
received  into  the  Presby- 
tery of  Carlisle,  by  letter  from  the  Presbytery  of  Redstone, 
October  3,  and  on  November  20,  was  ordained  and  installed 
the  Pastor  of  this  Church,  in  which  office  he  remained  until 
released  by  Presbytery,  November  16,  1864,  on  which  day 
he  was  also  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  St.  Louis,  to 
become  Pastor  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  in  that 
city,  where  he  entered  upon  his  ministry  in  January,  1865. 
There  he  still  continues,  an  honored  and  beloved  Pastor, 
and  abundantlv  blessed  in  his  labors. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  105 

Dr.  Niccolls'  pastorate  here  covered  the  greater  part  of 
the  dark  days  ot  the  Civil  War.  During  this  period,  he 
was  granted  leave  of  absence  by  this  Church,  that  he  might 
serve  as  Chaplain  of  the  ia6th  Pennsylvania  Volunteers. 
In  this  position  he  remained  from  September  6  to  Novem- 
ber 1 6,  1862,  and  then  returned  to  his  pastoral  duties. 

Near  the  end  of  Dr.  Niccolls'  pastorate,  July  30,  1864, 
our  town  was  burned  by  General  McCausland,  under  orders 
of  General  Early.  Dr.  Niccolls  has  already  given  us  some 
reminiscences  of  those  terrible  days  and  nights  of  suffering 
and  loss. 

Dr.  Niccolls  has  been  the  recipient  of  many  honors  from 
the  Church  at  large.  He  has  been  prominent  in  the  nego- 
tiations between  the  Northern  and  Southern  Branches  ot 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  for  the  restoration  of  friendly  re- 
lations. He  was  elected  Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly 
at  Detroit  in  1872. 

He  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.,  from  Centre  College,  Ky., 
in  1867. 

The  increasing  prosperity  of  our  Church  during  Dr.  Nic- 
colls' pastorate,  when  he  so  greatly  endeared  himself  to  this 
people,  is  shown  by  the  increase  of  membership  from  216  to 
290.  Special  mention  is  also  made  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly's Minutes,  of  colored  communicants,  5  in  1860,  and  5  in 
1 86 1.  After  the  year  1861,  no  such  special  mention  is  made. 

In  April,  1865,  when  the  pulpit  was  vacant,  there  were 
reported  267  communicants. 


x. 

JOSHUA  BLACKWOOD  HOWELL  JANEWAY,  PH.  D.,  1866. 

I  have  succeeded  in  securing  very  little  in  reference  to 
Mr.  Janeway's  personal  history.  He  was  born  in  Rahway, 
N.  J.,  May  16,  1837 ;  was  graduated  from  Princeton  College, 


io6 


THE   FALLING   SPRING 


1857 ;  took  the  full  three  years'  course  in  Princeton  Semi- 
nary, and  was  graduated  thence  in  the  spring  of  1861 ;  May 
7,  1863,  he  was  ordained  and  installed  by  the  Presbytery  of 

Raritan,  as  Pastor  of  the 
Amwell  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  N.  J.,  where  he 
remained  through  part  of 
the  year  1864.  He  was  a 
Chaplain  in  the  United 
States  Army,  from  1864 
to  1866.  Mr.  Janeway 
supplied  this  pulpit  from 
January  14,  1866,  to  Sep- 
tember 30, 1866,  but  never 
brought  his  letter  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Carlisle. 
While  here  his  health, 
which  was  seriously  in- 
j  ured  by  his  life  in  the  army, 
was  not  greatly  improved. 
On  leaving  here,  Mr. 

Janeway  acted  as  Stated  Supply  of  the  Presbyterian 
Churches  at  Pennington,  N.  J.,  1867-68;  was  pastor  of 
the  Second  Church,  Cranbury,  N.  J.,  1870-75;  lived  in 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  1868-70;  in  Philadelphia,  1870-75;  and 
in  1875  became  actuary  for  the  Presbyterian  Ministers' 
Annuity  Fund  (or  Life  Insurance  Co.),  in  which  position  he 
remained  for  some  years.  From  Philadelphia  he  went  to 
Denver,  Col.,  Emporia,  Kansas,  and  San  Diego,  Cal.  He 
was  in  1889  and  for  some  years  following  a  teacher  in  New 
York,  City,  where  he  resides  at  present.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Boulder,  Col. 

There  were  reported  to  Presbytery,  April,  1866,  245  com- 
municants, and  in  April,  1867,  295. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


107 


XL 
REV.   JOHN   AGNEW   CRAWFORD,  D.    D.,   1867-1887. 

From    Nevin's    Presbyterian    Encyclopaedia    and    other 
sources  we  glean  the  following : 

Dr.  Crawford  is  the  oldest  son  of  the  Rev.  S.  W.  Crawford, 
D.  D.,  who  was  born  in 
South  Carolina  in  1796, 
and  became  a  distin- 
guished minister  of  the 
Reformed  Presbyterian 
Church.  Another  son 
was  the  late  General  S. 
Wiley  Crawford,  well 
known  in  connection 
with  the  fall  of  Fort 
Sumter  and  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg.  Dr.  Craw- 
ford, the  father,  was  suc- 
cessively  pastor  of 
Churches  of  the  Reformed 
Presbyterian  denomina- 
tion in  Conococheague, 
near  Chambersburg,  and 
the  Second  and  Fourth 

Churches  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  eminent  as  an  educator, 
being  for  many  years  Principal  of  the  Academical  Depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  as  well  as  Professor 
in  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian 
Church.  He  died  at  Allandale,  near  Chambersburg,  in  1876. 
His  son,  the  Rev.  J.  Agnew  Crawford,  your  former  Pastor, 
and  our  well-beloved  and  honored  friend,  was  born  in  Phil- 
adelphia in  1822,  was  educated  under  his  father's  care,  and 
entered  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  whence  he  was 


108  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

graduated  in  1841.  His  theological  course  was  taken  at  the 
Seminary  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  in  Phila- 
delphia. He  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Reformed 
Presbytery  of  Philadelphia,  Aug.  15,  1844.  In  1847  he 
was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  o/  the  Reformed  Pres- 
byterian Church  at  Milton,  Pa.  He  was  later  on  Pastor  of 
the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Churches  in  Xenia,  Ohio,  and 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  While  in  Xenia,  Dr.  Crawford  also  taught 
the  languages,  and  one  of  his  former  pupils,  the  Rev. 
J.  A.  Worden,  D.  D.,  recently  told  me  that  he  learned  more 
of  the  beauty  there  is  in  Greek  poetry  from  Dr.  Crawford 
than  from  any  other  teacher  he  ever  had. 

Dr.  Crawford  was  received  by  lettefr  from  the  Reformed 
Presbyterian  Church  (North),  by  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle, 
July  9,  1867.  On  July  10,  he  was  installed  Pastor  of  the 
Falling  Spring  Church,  in  which  charge  he  remained  as 
Pastor  until  January  i,  1887,  when  he  was  released  by  Pres- 
bytery and  was  made  Pastor  Emeritus,  and  still  continues 
so  to  be.  For  some  years  he  has  taught  Philosophy  and 
Greek  in  Wilson  College.  He  has  also  for  many  years  been 
Permanent  Clerk  of  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle.  He  received 
the  degree  of  D.  D.,  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania 
in  1876. 

Under  Dr.  Crawford's  long  and  faithful  pastorate  this 
church  steadily  advanced  in  numbers,  in  benevolence,  in 
missionary  zeal,,  and  in  general  efficiency.  The  Young 
Ladies'  Missionary  Society  was  organized  February  21,  1881, 
under  his  leadership,  and  has  been  persevering  and  gener- 
ous in  noble  deeds  and  gifts,  and  is  now  the  banner  Band 
of  the  Presbytery.  The  following  were  the  original  mem- 
bers, as  found  in  the  list  given  in  the  Chapel : 

Sarah  Egery  Reed,  Sallie  Reed,  Ellie  Chambers,  Clara 
Miller,  Jean  Agnew  Crawford,  Susie  Monroe  Crawford, 
Annie  Chambers,  Emma  Chambers,  Annie  M.  Linn,  Belle 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  109 

McLellan,  Jeannie  Senseny,  Alice  Senseny,  Susie  Shields 
Kennedy,  Mary  Stewart,  Lizzie  Shumaker,  Theodosia  Shu- 
maker,  Scott  King,  Nettie  King,  Elizabeth  King,  Nellie 
Lesley,  Edith  Lesley,  Flora  Lesley,-  Rose  Hunter,  Nellie 
Mcllvaine,  Emma  Snider,  Minnie  McDowell,  Annie  C. 
McDowell,  Clara  Scott,  Mary  Scott,  Margery  Cain ;  from 
Wilson  College,  Alice  Wing,  Mary  Craig,  Margaret  Ewalt, 
Grace  Ewalt,  Elizabeth  Elliot,  Kate  Elliot,  Arianna 
Kennedy,  Annie  West,  Mollie  Eyster,  Florence  McCullough, 
Florence  Sprecher,  Mary  Fendrick,  Sarah  Harris. 

This  is  not  the  time,  nor  is  this  the  presence,  in  which  to 
enter  into  a  more  detailed  resume,  or  to  enlarge  more  fully 
upon  Dr.  Crawford's  admirable  pastoral  work. 

June  9,  1871,  a  number  of  books  published  by  our  Board 
of  Publication  were  donated  by  the  Sunday  School  to  Wilson 
College,  with  the  understanding  that  members  of  the  congre- 
gation should  have  the  use  of  them  whenever  they  desired. 

We  will  hear  from  others  the  history  of  our  Sabbath  Schools 
and  various  Missionary  Societies,  and  of  our  system  of  benevo- 
lent offerings,  and  of  the  formation  of  the  Central  Church. 

The  story  of  the  great  revival  of  1876-7  was  most  aptly 
narrated  to  us  last  evening  by  Dr.  Crawford  himself. 

One  of  the  permanent  results  of  that  revival  was  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Union  Women's  Prayer-meeting  Jan.  15, 
1876,  which  has  to  this  day  been  signally  blessed  of  God. 

On   the  opening  of  the  new  Chapel,  the  Session  spent 
much  time  in  prayer  that  God  would  bless  the  chapel  study 
to  His  own  glory  and  the  good  of  the  cause  to  which  that 
room  was  consecrated. 
.   Children's  Day  was  first  observed  in  June,  1886. 

The  following  resolutions  were  adopted  at  the  congre- 
gational meeting  which  acted  upon  Dr.  Crawford's  request 
to  be  released  from  this  congregation : 

"Whereas  our  Pastor,   Dr.  J.  A.    Crawford,  because   of 


IIO  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

physical  inability  to  meet  what  he  believes  to  be  the  re- 
quirements of  the  congregation  under  present  conditions, 
has  tendered  a  resignation  of  his  pastorate,  and  has  ex- 
pressed a  desire  that  the  congregation  unite  with  him  in  a  re- 
quest to  Presbytery  to  dissolve  the  relation  which  now  exists, 

"Resolved,  That  the  congregation  hereby  expresses  its 
assent  to  and  acceptance  ot  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Crawford, 
and  unites  with  him  in  the  request  to  Presbytery  for  disso- 
lution of  the  pastoral  relation. 

"But  in  doing  so  we  desire  further  to  give  expression  of 
our  sincere  regret  for  the  existence  of  these  conditions  which 
have  influenced  his  action  in  this  regard.  For  Dr.  Crawford 
this  congregation  entertains  cordial  and  undiminished  affec- 
tion, esteem  and  regard,  inspired  and  maintained  by  his 
uniform  Christian  conduct  and  fellowship  and  constant 
faithfulness  in  his  high  office,  and  we  recall  with  grateful 
recollection  the  efficient  service  he  has  rendered  us  as  a  con- 
gregation and  as  individuals  .thereof. 

"Resolved,  That  as  a  testimonial  of  our  affection  and  re. 
gard  for  Dr.  Crawford,  we  invite  him  to  become  Pastor 
Emeritus  of  this  congregation,  and  that  he  be  paid  an  an- 
nuity of  $300.00  out  of  the  congregational  funds,  so  long 
as  he  remains  without  an  active  charge." 

These  resolutions  were  seconded  by  Mr.  Benj.  Chambers, 
whose  address  at  the  time  expressed  the  feelings  of  the 
whole  congregation  toward  Dr.  Crawford,  and  their  appre- 
ciation of  his  work  both  as  a  preacher  and  pastor.  This 
address  and  the  above  resolutions  are  to  be  found  in  full  in 
the  Session  Records.  Remarks  were  also  made  at  that 
meeting  by  Mr.  Wm.  G.  Reed,  Rev.  John  Edgar,  John  M. 
McDowell,  Esq.,  John  Stewart,  Esq.,  and  Geo.  Chambers,  Esq. 

The  following  statistics  speak  for  themselves,  as  to  our 
Church's  growth  in  the  grace  of  giving  during  Dr.  Craw- 
ford's pastorate:  In  1868,  the  Church  contributed  to  Home 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  Ill 

Missions  $130.00;  in  1886,  $728.00.  To  Foreign  Missions 
$323.00  and  $807.00,  and  to  other  objects  in  proportion.* 

Of  the  large  number  received  into  the  Church  during  Dr. 
Crawford's  pastorate,  there  still  remain  enrolled  with  us,  51 
who  were  received  by  letter,  and  57  by  confession. 

Permit  me  a  personal  word  just  here.  Dr.  Crawford  has 
shown  himself  to  me  a  kind  and  ever  helpful  friend,  and  I 
but  express  the  wish  of  my  own  heart,  and  I  believe  of  mul- 
titudes in  our  Church  and  town,  that  he  may  be  long  spared 
to  dwell  among  us,  and  to  be  cherished  by  us. 


XII. 
REV.   JOHN   GRIER   HIBBEN,    PH.    D.,   1887-1891. 

Mr.  Hibben  was  born  in  Peoria,  111.,  Apr.  19,  1861.  He 
is  the  great-great-grandson  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Cooper,  D. 
D.,  who  came  from  Ireland  and  settled  in  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa., 
and  who  was  Pastor  of  the  Church  at  Middle  Spring  from 
1763-1797.  Mr.  Cooper's  second  daughter,  Elizabeth, 
married  Rev.  Isaac  Grier,  whose  third  son,  John  C.  Grier 
was  Mr.  Hibben's  grandfather  on  his  mother's  side.  Mr. 
Hibben  was  graduated  from  Princeton  College,  in  1882, 
entered  Princeton  Seminary  in  1883,  and  was  graduated  in 
1886.  He  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Peoria,  July  2, 
1885.  He  was  elected  Pastor  of  this  Church  at  a  congrega- 
tional meeting  held  Jan.  3,  1887;  was  received  as  a  licentiate 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Carlisle,  April  13,  1887,  and  was 
ordained  and  installed  as  Pastor,  May  19,  1887,  remaining 
in  charge  until  released  by  Presbytery  in  April,  1891,  hav- 
ing been  compelled  on  account  of  impaired  health  to  resign, 
very  much  to  the  regret  of  this  people,  to  whom  he  had  so 
greatly  endeared  himself  by  his  faithful  and  earnest  work. 

*The  Communion  Service  now  in  use  was.  given  to  this  Church  after  the  fire, 
by  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Pittsburg,  April  14, 1864. 


112 


THE   FALLING   SPRING 


The  following  is  the 
minute  of  the  Session 
meeting  Feb.  21,  1891, 
at  which  Mr.  Hibben  first 
introduced  the  matter  of 
his  resignation  of  the  pas- 
torate here:  "All  the 
Elders  present  expressed 
their  deep  sorrow  that 
their  beloved  friend  and 
Pastor  had  reached  such  a 
decision,  and  all  thought 
it  best  that  he  should  re- 
main as  long  as  he  felt 
able  and  willing.  They 
bore  testimony  to  his 
faithfulness  and  success  as 
apastor,  and  were  unani- 
mous in  the  opinion  that  the  Church  was  now  more  harmo- 
nious, stronger,  and  in  better  condition  than  when  he 
assumed  the  pastorate  four  years  ago." 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Session,  March  2,  1891,  it 
was  decided  to  call  a  congregational  meeting  on  April  6, 
1891,  at  3  P.  M.,  to  take  action  upon  Mr.  Hibben's  resigna- 
tion. At  that  meeting  the  following  resolutions  were  unani- 
mously adopted : 

"That  while  we  as  a  congregation  deeply  deplore  the 
causes  that  necessitate  such  a  step  on  the  part  of  our  be- 
loved Pastor,  yet  recognizing  that  absolute  rest  is  essential 
to  his  restoration  to  health  and  strength,  we  reluctantly  and 
sorrowfully  accept  the  resignation  tendered,  and  will  join 
with  him  in  his  request  to  Presbytery  to  sever  the  close  re- 
lations existing  between  us  as  Pastor  and  people.  Be  it 
resolved  further,  that  we  as  a  congregation  are  not  satisfied 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  113 

to  sever  these  relations  in  a  mere  formal  manner,  for  our 
Pastor,  during  his  ministry  among  iis,  has  entwined  himself 
deeply  around  our  hearts  and  in  our  lives.  The  time  is 
fitting  and  the  occasion  proper  to  give  expression  to  the 
love  and  esteem  in  which  we  hold  him,  and  some  recogni- 
tion ot  the  work  he  has  done  in  our  midst.  He  has  indeed 
labored  faithfully  in  the  vineyard  of  his  Lord  and,  without 
stint,  has  given  ot  his  strength  to  his  Master.  His  daily 
walk  and  life  were  such  as  to  prove  his  faith  to  be  a  living 
faith  and  his  service  a  service  of  a  living  Christ.  Seldom 
do  so  many  Christian  virtues  cluster  around  one  character. 
Noble  in  purpose,  refined  in  strength,  tender  and  sympa- 
thetic in  feeling,  conscientious  in  action,  charitable  toward 
the  weakness  of  frail  humanity,  these,  ripest  fruits  of  a 
Christian  life  are  his  in  marked  degree. 

"To  know  our  Pastor  is  to  feel  that  he  walks  close  to  his 
God,  and  a  life  that  draws  its  inspiration  from  this  source  is 
an  influence  for  good,  not  only  in  the  Church,  but  in  the 
community  in  which  it  is  spent. 

"As  a  congregation  we  desire  to  testify,  with  gratitude,  that 
God  has  blessed  his  labors  among  us,  which  is  evidenced  by  the 
large  accessions  to  the  membership  of  this  Church.  Though 
his  pastorate  has  not  extended  over  many  years,  yet  he  has 
started  religious  activities  which  now  promise  blessings  to  the 
Church  and  to  advance  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Master 
Jesus  Christ.  Recognizing  the  vital  importance  of  bringing 
the  young  early  to  the  Saviour  and  engaging  them  in  His  ser- 
vice, he  labored  with  zeal  and  success  among  the  youth  of 
the  congregation,  and  awakened  in  the  hearts  of  many  of  them 
the  desire  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Church. 

"The  labors  of  our  Pastor  were  not  confined  to  his  own 
people,  but  included  the  community  at  large,  all  classes, 
conditions  and  colors.  Wherever  there  was  need  for  a  min- 
ister of  God,  Mr.  Hibben  was  ready  to  go.  None  were  too 


114  TH;E   FALLING  SPRING 

poor,  too  degraded,  but,  if  they  called  upon  him,  he  tendered 
to  them  his  kindly  offices.  The  Chapel  in  Wolfstown  stands 
as  a  monument  to  testify  to  his  love  for  humanity  for  hu- 
manity's sake. 

"Not  only  his-  departure,  but  also,  that  of  his  esteemed 
wife,  who  has  been  such  an  earnest  and  efficient  co-worker 
in  the  various  avenues  of  religious  work,  will  be  universally 
regretted.  As  a  congregation,  we  shall  miss  his  presence 
from  the  pulpit;  and  the  community,  the  benefit  of  his  teach- 
ings and  his  life.  Those  too  whose  hearts  are  weighed  down 
by  sorrow,  who  refuse  to  be  comforted  because  the  grave  has 
closed  over  all  that  is  mortal  of  those  who,  in  life,  were  dear 
to  them,  will  miss  our  Pastor.  It  was  when  the  soul  was 
passing  through  the  troubled  waters  of  affliction,  that  he  was 
able  to  bring  the  sweet  consolations  and  comforting  hopes  of 
the  Gospel  to  cheer  the  grief-stricken  soul  and  to  call  it  back 
to  its  allegiance  to  its  Maker,  causing  it  to  exclaim  through 
its  tears  'Thy  will  be  done.' 

"But  he  shall  be  missed  most  of  all  in  the  chamber  of 
sickness  and  of  death.  He  brought  with  him  into  the  sick 
room  the  same  faith  that  was  his  own  guide  and  comfort  in 
life.  He  encouraged  the  suffering  to  bear  with  patience 
their  cross,  and  strengthened  the  dying  to  enter  without  fear 
the  dark  valley  and  shadow,  for  beyond  death  and  the  grave 
were  the  rich  promises  of  the  Risen  Lord. 

"The  severence  of  our  relations  with  our  Pastor  would  be 
sad  under  any  circumstances,  but  the  causes  that  make  this 
action  now  a  necessity  bring  with  them  added  sorrow  and 
deep  regret.  Our  hearts  go  out  to  him  in  sympathy  in  this 
sore  trial,  for  a  trial  it  is,  to  be  compelled,  thus  early  in  his 
ministry,  to  suspend  his  life  work.  But  we  know  upon 
whom  he  leans,  and  that  the  support  will  never  fail  him,  for 
4Lo  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.' 

"We  shall  follow  with  deep  interest  his  future,  and  retain 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  115 

for  him  a  warm  place  in  our  affections.  We  shall  remember 
him  in  our  prayers,  that  he  may  soon  be  restored  to  health 
and  strength,  and  again  resume  the  work  he  is  now  laying 
down,  a  work  he  loves  so  well,  for  it  is  in  the  service  of  his 
Master.  That  Master  caused  the  scales  to  fall  from  the  leper, 
and  said  to  the  dead  Lazarus  'Come  forth,'  and  if  it  is  for  the 
best  he  can  heal  our  Pastor.  In  the  care  of  Omnipotent 
Power  we  leave  him." 

Mr.  Hibben  preached  his  farewell  sermon  May  24,  1891. 
He  was  elected  Instructor  in  Logic  and  Psychology  in 
Princeton  College  soon  after  leaving  Chambersburg.  He 
is  now  Assistant  Professor  in  Logic.  In  June,  1893,  he  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  Ph.  D.  from  Princeton  College. 

During  Mr.  Hibben's  pastorate  he  was  successful  in  com- 
pleting the  organization  of  the  Wolfstown  Mission  Sabbath 
School,  about  which  time  the  present  chapel  was  built  for 
that  school  at  a  cost  of  $700.00. 

The  history  of  the  Industrial  School  connected  with  this 
church  goes  back  to  the  years  immediately  following  the 
"Fire  of  1864."  For  two  years  it  was  in  a  very  flourishing 
condition,  under  the  care  of  Mrs.  Thos.  B.  Kennedy  and 
Mrs.  Ellen  Culbertson,  Mrs.  M.  C.  Washington  and  others. 
Its  meetings  were  held  in  the  old  Lecture  Room.  After 
being  suspended  for  a  number  of  years,  it  was  revived  and 
organized  June  2,  1890,  when  a  few  ladies  rented  first  one 
room,  then  two,  in  Vessel's  new  brick  house  at  Wolfstown. 
It  met  on  Mondays,  beginning  with  about  half  a  dozen 
scholars  and  four  or  five  teachers.  June  18,  1890,  the 
school  already  registered  80  scholars.  Sept.  8,  the  day  was 
changed  to  Saturday.  When  the  new  Chapel  at  Wolfstown 
was  opened  and  dedicated,  Dec.  21,  1890,  the  scholars  re- 
moved thither,  being  at  the  time  under  the  superintendency 
first  of  Mrs.  Hibben,  then  of  Mrs.  Thos.  B.  Kennedy. 
Among  the  ladies  then  teachihg  in  the  school  were  Mrs. 


1 1 6  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

Alice  Grier,  Miss  Lizzie  Wallace,  Mrs.  Thos.  Wallace, 
Miss  Emma  Smith,  Miss  Arie  Kennedy,  and  Mrs. 
Wm.  B.  Reed.  While  in  Yessel's  building,  boys  began  to 
attend,  and  the  constant  wonder  was  and  is  that  they  prefer 
the  Industrial  School  to  the  streets  on  a  Saturday  afternoon. 
The  attendance  of  both  sexes,  though  variable,  has  been  over 
100,  with  about  a  dozen  lady  teachers.  The  object  is  not 
to  teach  fancy  work  but  to  do  plain  and  practical  sewing, 
taking  special  care  that  the  work  done  be  both  neat  and 
strong.  Flannel  is  furnished  at  half-rate  to  grown  scholars. 
Gingham  for  aprons  is  free  to  all.  The  smaller  scholars  are 
furnished  all  materials  free.  Merits  are  earned  by  prompt- 
ness, good  behaviour,  and  carelul  sewing,  and  by  these 
merits  the  scholars  purchase  the  clothing. 

The  main,  underlying  purpose  of  all  this  work  should  not 
be  overlooked,  namely,  the  bringing  of  the  scholars,  and 
especially  the  boys,  off  the  street,  and  under  the  sound  of 
the  Gospel.  To  this  end,  at  every  session  there  are  hymns, 
Scripture,  prayer,  and  a  short  talk  upon  some  intensely 
practical  subject.  These  influences,  under  the  faithful,  ener- 
getic, generous  efforts  of  the  Superintendent,  Mrs.  Kennedy, 
assisted  by  noble,  self-denying  teachers,  coupled  with  the 
School  on  Sabbath  afternoons,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
have  resulted  in  a  most  marked  improvement  in  many 
homes,  and  in  the  orderliness  of  the  whole  neigborhood. 

Mr.  Hibbeii  also  organized  in  this  Church  the  first  Christ- 
ian Endeavor  Society  in  Franklin  Co.,  which  is  now  so 
great  a  help  to  our  young  people,  and  a  joy  to  the  present 
Pastor,  and  of  which  Mr.  W.  B.  Reed  will  give  us  an  account. 

During  the  years  of  Mr.  Hibben's  pastorate,  the  member- 
ship increased  from  232  in  1887,  to  283  in  1891  ;  and  the 
contributions  to  Foreign  Missions  from  $783.00  to  $1051.00. 

It  is  a  cause  of  sincere  disappointment  to  us  all  not  to 
greet  Dr.  Hibben  at  this  time.  He  made  a  place  for  him- 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


117 


self  in  the  hearts  of  this  people,  and  he  will  find  that  he 
holds  that  place  today.  May  the  Lord  make  him  as  useful 
and  blessed  in  his  present  work  as  he  was  while  Pastor  of 
this  beloved  Church !  We  humbly  pray  for  his  speedy  res- 
toration to  health,  and  long-continued  success  in  his  work. 


XIII. 
REV.  HARRIS  ROGERS  SCHENCK,   1892- 

The  Rev.  H.  R.  Schenck  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
Feb.  27,  1856 ;  was  grad- 
uated from  Princeton 
College  in  1876;  taught 
at  the  Princeton  Prepar- 
atory School;  entered 
Princeton  Seminary  in 
September,  1877,  was 
graduated,  taking  a 
fourth  year,  and  leaving 
the  Seminary  in  May 
1 88 1 ;  was  ordained  by 
the  Presbytery  ot  West- 
chester,  N.  Y.,  June  7, 
1881 ;  was  Pastor  at 
Mahopac  Falls,  N.  Y., 
from  1881-1887;  Pas- 
tor at  Mt.  Kisco,  N.  Y., 
1887-1892;  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Falling 
Spring  Church,  Feb.  9,  1892 ;  was  received  by  the  Presby- 
tery of  Carlisle,  Apr.  13,  and  installed  as  Pastor  of  the  Fall- 
ing Spring  Church,  May  26,  1892. 


NOTE.    The  Ms.  of  the  above  address,  which  is  somewhat  fuller  than  space 
permitted  to  print,  is  on  file  with  other  documents  belonging  to  the  Church 


GREETING  FROM  THE  GREENCASTLE  CHURCH, 

BY  THE  REV.  L.  C.  BELL,  PASTOR. 


On  behalf  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Greencastle,  I 
have  the  honor  to  present  to  the  Falling  Spring  Presby- 
terian Church  their  heartiest  congratulations  on  your  reach- 
ing the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  years,  and 
the  one  hundredth  as  a  separate  charge.  We  note  with  the 
greatest  pleasure  that  the  signs  of  age,  contrary  to  those  of 
human  life,  are  your  increased  and  increasing  strength  with 
all  the  evidences  of  buoyant  life.  We  congratulate  you 
upon  the  able  and  godly  character  of  those  who  have  stood 
in  your  pulpit ;  upon  the  representatives  ot  this  Church,  who 
have  ruled  it,  and  the  number  and  influential  character  ot 
its  membership.  We  wish  that  Falling  Spring  Church 
may  have  many  more  centennials  and  continue  to  be  a 
spring  of  gracious  influences,  pouring  out  upon  saints  and 
sinners  the  water  of  salvation. 

The  sister  church  desires  to  present  you,  in  token  of  her 
good  wishes,  a  relic  of  former  days,  before  the  breaking  up  of 
the  Conococheague  church  family — a  cross  made  from  a 
piece  of  wood  taken  from  the  "Old  Red  Meeting  House," 
which  stood  near  "Moss  Spring"  about  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  east  of  Greencastle.  It  was  built  about  the  year  1767, 
and  used  as  a  church  until  1827.  The  relic  is  inscribed  as 
follows :  "  Presented  to  Falling  Spring  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  Nov.  12,  1894,  by  the  Presbyterian 
Church  pf  Greencastle,  Pa.,"  "Ho  LOGOS  HOTOU  STAUROV 

TOIS  MEN  APOLLUMENOIS  MORIA  ESTI,  TOIS  DE  SOZOMENOIS 
HEMIN  DUN  AMIS  THEOU  ESTI."  (l  Cor.   I  :  1 8). 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  give  any  personal  reminiscences 

118 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  119 

of  the  "Lower  East  Conococheague  Church,"  as  my  per- 
sonal knowledge  extends  over  but  two  years.  The  pastors, 
since  the  time  of  the  separation  from  the  same  charge 
with  the  "Upper  East  Conococheague  Church,"  have  been, 
according  to  records  extant,  twelve  in  number,  as  follows : 
Rev.  Robert  Kennedy,  Apr.  13,  1803  to  Apr.  9,  1816;  Rev. 
James  Buchanan,  1816  to  Oct.  i,  1839;  Rev.  Jno.  T.  M. 
Da  vie,  Nov.,  1840  to  Apr.  9,  1845;  Rev.  T.  V.  Moore,  D. 
D.,  Oct.  15,  1845  to  Oct.  7,  1847;  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Paxton,  D. 
D.,  Oct.  4,  1848  to  Dec.  5,  1850;  Rev.  Edward  Emerson, 
Sept.  i,  1852  to  Aug.  14,  1860;  Rev.  Win.  T.  Beatty,  May 
16,  1861  to  Apr.,  1863;  Rev.  J.  W.  Wightman,  Nov.  12, 
1863  to  Oct.  4,  1870;  Rev.  D.  K.  Richardson,  Feb.  10,  1872 
to  Aug.,  1877  ;  Rev.  Jas.  H.  Stewart,  Dec.  13,  1877  to  May 
i,  1883;  Rev.  J.  D.  Hunter,  Apr.  29,  1884  to  May  i,  1892; 
Rev.  L.  Carmon  Bell,  Dec.  20,  1892 — . 


GREETING  FROM  THE  CENTRAL  CHURCH, 

BY  ELDER  W.  H.  H.  MACKEY. 


It  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  stand  before  you  to-night 
to  represent  the  Central  Church  as  a  child  of  the  Falling 
Spring  Church.  For  the  reason  that  the  mother  has  always 
been  very  kind  to  the  child,  we  have  under  all  circumstances 
felt  at  perfect  liberty  to  ask  any  favor  we  desired,  and  have 
appreciated  the  freeness  and  kindness  with  which  the  favor 
was  granted. 

Separations  are  generally  attended  with  friction,  but  in 
this  case  the  separation  was  similar  to  a  parent's  parting 
with  a  loved  child,  going  to  another  part  of  the  country 
with  an  object  in  view  for  the  advancement  and  welfare  of 
both  child  and  parent.  In  this  case,  it  was  thought  better 
for  the  advancement  of  Presbyterianism  in  our  city  to  sepa- 


120  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

rate.  I  think  God's  hand  was  in  it,  as  much  as  it  was  in 
the  separation  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  for  the  building  up  of 
His  Church,  or  in  the  separation  of  Joseph  from  his  lather 
for  the  preservation  of  the  lives  of  the  people.  The  separa- 
tion has  more  than  doubled  Presbyterianism  in  Chambers- 
burg.  Presbyterianism  had  had  a  marked  and  steady 
growth  in  the  mother  church,  until  many  thought  the 
building  too  small  to  accommodate  its  members ;  and  in  the 
early  spring  of  1868,  when  there  seemed  to  be  no  prospect 
for  a  new  building,  or  for  an  addition  to  the  old  one, 
thirteen  of  its  members  prepared  a  petition  favoring  a  new 
organization.  It  was  signed  by  them,  and  presented  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Carlisle  by  the  Rev.  James  F.  Kennedy,  D. 
D.,  at  a  meeting  held  in  Duncannon,  June  9,  1868.  This 
petition  was  considered  by  Presbytery,  and  it  appointed  a 
committee  of  three,  consisting  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Creigh, 
D.  D.,  the  Rev.  W.  A.  West,  and  Elder  J.  Craig  McLanahan, 
to  visit  Chambersburg  and  organize  a  second  Presbyterian 
church,  if  the  thought  it  best  to  do  so. 

The  committee  met  in  the  Falling  Spring  Church,  Aug. 
15,  1868,  with  the  pastor,  elders  and  congregation.  After 
a  full  interchange  of  views,  they  decided  to  organize  a  second 
Presbyterian  church.  The  Session  of  the  Falling  Spring 
Church  granted  'certificates  of  dismissal  to  twenty-eight  ot 
its  members,  who  desired  to  form  the  new  organization. 
These  certificates  being  accepted  by  the  committee,  the 
formal  organization  was  accomplished.  To  complete  the 
organization,  an  election  was  held  for  ruling  elders,  when 
James  C.  Austin  and  James  A.  Reside  were  unanimously 
chosen  to  that  office. 

Six  weeks  after  the  organization  of  this  Church,  the  Rev. 
Isaac  Newton  Hays  was  called  to  be  the  first  Pastor,  and  he 
was  installed  Dec.  u,  1868.  He  was  released  May  5,  1874, 
to  accept  a  call  to  Junction  City,  Kan.  The  Church  was 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  121 

then  vacant  for  three  months,  when  the  Rev.  John  Calvin 
Caldwell  was  called,  Aug.  3,  1874;  and  he  was  installed 
Oct.  22  following.  He  was  released  Aug.  7,  1883,  to  accept 
a  call  to  West  Chester,  Pa.  Rev.  John  Jay  Pomeroy  was  in- 
stalled as  Pastor,  April  10,  1884.  Dr.  Pomeroy  continued  as 
our  beloved  Pastor  for  a  period  of  five  years  and  eight  months, 
when  in  the  midst  of  health  and  vigor  he  was  striken  down 
by  an  accident,  which  resulted  in  his  death,  Dec.  i,  1889. 
The  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Johnston  Sherrard,  was 
called  April  12,  1890,  and  began  his  labors  here  June  ist  of 
that  year;  he  was  installed  June  10,  1890. 

The  Church  has  had,  in  the  course  oi  twenty-six  years, 
four  pastors.  Beginning  with  a  membership  of  twenty- 
eight,  at  the  time  of  its  organization,  the  congregation 
increased  to  one  hundred  members  by  the  time  of  the  dedi- 
cation, three  years  after  the  organization.  It  has  steadily 
increased  in  membership  up  to  the  present  time.  There  are 
now  on  the  roll  two  hundred  and  fifty-tw.o  names,  this  be- 
ing the  largest  number  since  the  organization. 

As  a  child,  and  in  behalf  of  the  children  of  the  Central 
Church,  I  again  thank  the  Mother  Church  for  her  kind, 
cordial  and  tender  nursing  through  all  these  years.  And 
above  all,  we  thank  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church  for  lead- 
ing and  guiding  us  so  safely  and  so  tenderly  through  the 
past  quarter  of  a  century.  May  we  all  ever  look  to  Him 
for  divine  guidance ;  and  when  the  Lord  cometh  to  make 
up  His  jewels,  may  we  all  be  gathered  home ! 


HISTORY  OF  THE  SESSION, 

BY  DR.  G.  F.  PLATT. 


For  nearly  ninety  years  of  the  life  of  the  Falling  Spring 
Church,  no  permanent  record  was  made  either  of  its  officers 


122  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

or  private  members ;  hence  the  names  of  the  worthy  men 
who  served  in  the  eldership  during  those  years  are  lost  to 
us.*  In  1821  the  Rev.  David  Denny  made  a  list  of  the 
then  existing  members.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Clark  in  1852, 
prepared  a  Register  into  which  he  copied  those  names,  and 
wherein  have  been  written  the  names  of  all  who  have  since 
joined  the  Church.  In  that  Register  we  find  the  following 
names  of  those  who  were  elders  at  or  betore  that  date,  and 
the  date  of  their  death  or  dismissal,  but  not  of  their  election  : 
Samuel  Blood,  dismissed  to  Alleghany,  1839;  John  Colhoun, 
died  Jan.,  1822;  Alex.  Scott,  died  Sept.,  1822;  Joseph 
Graham,  died  Aug.,  1823  ;  John  Lindsay,  died  Sept.,  1825; 
Andrew  McCord,  dismissed  to  Ohio,  (no  date);  Jas.  B.  Ross, 
dismissed,  1828;  Archibald  Fleming,  dismissed  to  Ohio, 
Mar.  25,  1832;  Robert  McCracken,  dismissed  to  the  west 
Sept.  14,  1837;  John  King,  died  July  8,  1835;  Moses  Kirk- 
patnck,died  June6,  i846;Samuel  Cooper, died  Sept.  28, 1853. 

We  find  the  following  with  date  of  election  as  well  as  death 
or  dismissal.  Wm.  S.  Davis,  elected  Dec.  3,  1826,  died  Apr. 
24,  1837  ;  David  Lytle,  elected  Dec.  3,  1826,  died  July  1858  ; 
Samuel  McElroy,  elected  Aug.  1843, died  Jan.  14,  i855;Robert 
Sharpe,  elected  Feb.  3,  1849,  died  March  n,  1858;  Alex. 
Thompson,  elected  1840,  died  Aug,  2,  1848;  Stewart  Kennedy, 
elected  Aug.  7,  1843, died  March  i.  i852;Robt.  Black, elected 
Sept.,  1849,  dismissed  to  Fayetteville,  Nov.  27,  (no  year  given). 

It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  when  the  town  was  burned 
in  1864,  the  sessional  records  were  all  destroyed,  hence  we 
have  no  account  of  their  proceedings  prior  to  that  time. 

My  first  remembrance  of  the  ruling  elders  in  this  Church 
was  of  two  gentlemen  of  hoary  locks  and  solemn  mien, 
walking  up  and  down  the  aisles,  each  having  in  his  hand  a 
long  rod  to  the  end  of  which  was  attached  a  bag  for  the  re- 

*From  the  fact  that  the  Presbytery  Kecords  state  that  Col.  Rerij.  Chambers 
on  Aug.  3i,  1738,  "moved  to  the  Presbytery,"  &c.,  it  would  seem  that  Col  Cham- 
bers was  a  member  of  Presbytery,  and  therefore  a  Ruling  Elder.— EDITOR. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


123 


ception  of  the  weekly  gifts  of  the  worshipers.  These 
honored  men,  Messrs.  Holmes  Crawford  and  John  Cree, 
were  at  that  time  the  only  members  of  Session.  Mr.  Craw- 
ford was  of  a  modest,  retiring  disposition,  so  much  so  that 
his  voice  was  never  heard  in  prayer  or  exhortation,  either 
in  public  or  social  worship,  but  he  served  the  Lord  with 
great  earnestness,  and  by  the  weight  of  his  Christian  char- 
acter commended  the  religion  he  professed.  He  served  as 
clerk  until  June,  1864,  when,  pleading  the  infirmities  of  age, 
he  asked  to  be  relieved,  and  at  his  urgent  request  his  resig- 
nation was  accepted.  About  a  month  after  the  burning  of 
the  town,  he  took  up  his  abode  in  the  country,  and  thence- 
forward was  unable  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of 
the  Church  at  home,  or  to  represent  the  Session  in  the 
higher  Church  Courts. 
Having  "served  his  own 
generation"  for  more 
than  four  score  years,  he 
"fell  on  sleep  and  was 
gathered  to  his  lathers" 
in  Feb.,  1874.  He  was 
elected  elder  in  1840, 
hence  was  in  office  about 
34  years. 

Mr.  John  Cree  was  born 
in  1805,  came  to  Chamb- 
ersburg  in  1826,  and  was 
ordained  an  elder  Feb.  3, 
1849.  He  was  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Sabbath 
School  for  1 6  years,  and 
was  ever  active  and 

zealous    in   the  work   of  JOHN  CREE. 

his  Lord  and  Master,  joining  in  the  public  prayer  and  in 


124  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

the  social  worship.  In  the  spring  of  1862  he  moved  to 
Pittsburg.  On  his  return  to  this  town  a  few  years  later,  he 
lelt  it  his  duty  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  then  feeble  and 
struggling  Central  Church,  and  served  as  a  member  ol  its 
Session  during  the  rest  .of  his  life.  Feb.  21,  1890,  he 
"came  to  his  grave  in  a  full  age  like  as  a  shock  of  corn 
cometh  in  in  his  season."  So  long  as  he  lived  he  did 
not  cease  to  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  Fall- 
ing Spring  Church  and  Sabbath  School. 

In  the  autumn  of  1861,  Messrs.  Wm.  G.  Reed,  Jas.  C. 
Eyster,  Frederick  Byers,  and  Geo.  F.  Platt  were  chosen 
elders.  Messrs.  Eyster  and  Byers  declined  the  honor,  and 
the  other  two  were  ordained  and  installed  on  Dec.  7,  1861. 
In  those  troublous  war  times  many  changes  took  place  in 
Church  as  well  as  in  State,  and  the  Session  of  the  Falling 
Spring  Church  was  not  an  exception  to  the  general  rule. 
As  already  said,  Mr.  Cree  left  in  1862.  Soon  after,  I  enlisted 
as  a  soldier.  Not  very  long  after  my  return  from  the  army, 
the  burning  of  the  town  occasioned  the  retirement  of  Mr. 
Holmes  Crawford.  A  little  later,  the  resignation  of  the 
Rev.  S.  J.  Niccolls  left  the  Church  without  a  Pastor,  and 
with  only  two  ruling  elders  in  charge.  Although  the  Rev. 
J.  B.  H.  Janeway  accepted  a  call  and  was  with  us  for  several 
months,  he  was  never  installed  nor  did  he  join  the  Presby- 
tery of  Carlisle,  so  that  the  Church  was  without  a  Pastor 
until  the  installation  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Crawford  in  July,  1867. 
I  was  young  and  inexperienced,  had  been  reared  in  a  Church 
of  radically  different  polity,  had  never  been  a  member  of 
any  other  Presbyterian  Church,  and  joined  this  one  less  than 
six  months  before  my  election  to  office.  I  therefore  de- 
ferred to  Mr.  Reed  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  interests  of 
the  Church,  and  that  prosperity  and  harmony  prevailed  to  so 
great  an  extent  throughout  those  years  of  unrest,  is  largely 
due,  under  God,  to  his  wise  and  discreet  management.  Mr. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


125 


Reed  was  Superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  School  six  years, 
for  a  good  many  years  was  leader  of  the  Church  choir,  and 
for  more  than  half  a  century  closely  identified  with  the 
praises  of  the  congregation  in  public  and  social  worship. 

On  Feb.  i,  1869,  Messrs.  Frederick  Byers,  John  H. 
Shumaker,  and  Jacob  Sharpe  Nixon  were  elected  ruling 
elders.  Mr.  Byers  again  declined,  and  the  others  were  in- 
stalled on  Feb.  21.  The  induction  into  office  of  these 
brethren  gave  the  Church  four  office  bearers  either  young 
or  in  middle  life,  who  for  more  than  fourteen  years  served 
together.  During  a  considerable  part  of  that  time  all  were 
engaged  in  the  Sabbath  School,  either  as  superintendent  or  as 
teachers.  In  1872  the  congregation,  on  the  recommendation 
of  the  Session,  adopted,  what  was  known  as  the  Bellefonte  or 
envelope  system  for-  its  benevolent  work,  which  resulted  in 
doubling  the  contribu- 
tions. After  following 
that  plan  for  three  years, 
the  congregation  voted  to 
return  to  the  old  system, 
which  was  folio  wed  .by  a 
decrease.  At  the  end  of 
the  year  1876,  the  con- 
gregation voted  unani- 
mously to  return  to  the 
envelopes,  which  have 
been  used  ever  since, 
though  not  by  all  the 
members  of  the  Church. 

On   May   15,    1883,   a 
handsome  sterling  silver 
baptismal  bowl  was  pre- 
sented   to    the     Church  DR-  J-  H-  SHUMAKER. 
through  the  Session  by  Mrs.  M.  C.  Washington. 


126  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

In  1883,  Dr.  Shumaker  was  chosen  Principal  of  the 
Academy  at  Blairstown,  N.  J.,  and  left  us  in  September  of 
that  year.  The  Session  placed  on  record  its  great  regret  at 
parting  with  a  brother  beloved  and  honored  in  the  Lord, 
and  bore  testimony  to  his  great  worth  as  a  Christian  and  as 
an  office  bearer.  In  the  fall  ot  1892,  he  returned  to  our 
town  and  was  warmly  welcomed  by  his  many  friends.  After 
weary  months  of  intense  suffering,  he  was  called  up  higher 
Feb.  7,  1894.  Session  placed  on  record  a  brief  sketch  of  his 
life  and  labors  and  added  the  following:  "We  thank  God 
that  while  he  lived  he  helped  to  mould  the  characters  of  so 
many  young  men  who  have  since  attained  to  eminence  in 
their  various  callings  in  life,  and  that  thus  his  influence 
will  be  felt  for  good  for  many  years  to  come.  We  honor  the 
memory  of  our  departed  brother  because  of  his  personal  char- 
acter and  record,  and  because  of  his  fidelity  to  the  varied  and 
responsible  duties  which  fell  to  his  lot.  We  pay  our  tribute 
ot  affection  to  the  sincere  loving  friend,  the  cheerful  com- 
panion, the  earnest  consistent  Christian.  We  extend  our 
warm  sympathy  to  the  bereaved  family,  especially  to  her 
who  for  more  than  forty  years  has  shared  his  inmost  joys  and 
sorrows,  and  pray  that  since  her  dearest  earthly  friend  is  re- 
moved, she  may  be  able  to  trust  wholly  and  entirely  in  that 
Friend  who  hath  said,  'Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  to 
the  end  of  the  world.'  ll  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life.'  " 

At  a  congregational  meeting  held  March  15,  1885,  the 
following  were  elected  ruling  elders :  Henry  A.  Riddle,  Win. 
B.  Reed,  John  S.  Mcllvaine,  Robert  E.  Coyle,  and  John  G. 
Orr.  Mr.  Coyle  declined  to  serve  and  the  others  were  in- 
stalled on  Sept.  12,  of  that  year.  All  were  at  that  time 
active  in  the  Sabbath  School  and  the  prayer  meetings,  and 
have  ever  since  discharged  their  official  duties  with  a  faith- 
fulness and  zeal  worthy  of  the  highest  praise. 

On  Sept.  n,  1885,  Mrs.  Susan  M.  Crawford  presented  to 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


127 


the  Church  through  the  Session  a  handsome  pulpit  Bible 
containing  both  the  Authorized  Version  and  the  Revision 
of  the  New  Testament. 

On  March  i,  1886,  in  response  to  the  desire  of  a  good 
many  temperance  advocates,  and  following  the  example  of 
many  other  churches,  a  majority  of  the  Session  voted  to 
cease  the  use  of  wine  at  communion,  and  to  substitute  there- 
for the  unfermented  juice  of  the  grape. 

On  Jan.  i,  1891,  Elder  J.  S.  Nixon  met  with  an  accident 
which  twelve  days  later 
terminated  his  earthly 
life.  The  following  is  a 
part  of  the  minute 
adopted  relating  to  him  : 
"It  is  not  the  length  of 
years  we  would  empha- 
size, nor  yet  the  number 
of  positions  he  held,  but 
the  fact  that  all  thess 
years  were  filled  with 
loving  thoughts,  with 
large  service,  and  with 
efficient  deeds;  and  that 
his  official  duties  were 
discharged  with  such 
rare  fidelity  and  earnest 
zeal  as  to  prove  a  con- 
stant inspiration  to  all 
about  him.  Every  department  of  Church  work  felt  the  im- 
pulse of  his  strong  personality.  He  exerted  a  marked 
influence  upon  the  lives  of  our  young  people  by  a  sincere 
and  genuine  interest  in  them,  to  which  also  he  ever  gave 
happy  expression ;  to  those  who  were  bearing  the  burden 
and  heat  of  the  day,  his  cheering  and  helpful  presence  gave 


j.  S.  NIXON. 


128 


THE   FALLING   SPRING 


o 

>*H 

V} 
V) 

UJ 


Ul 
m 
uj 

o: 
a, 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  129 

perpetual  strength  and  encouragement,  and  to  the  aged,  the 
sick,  the  afflicted,  the  outcast,  he  brought  comfort  in  the 
hour  of  trial.  A  host  of  friends  testify  to  his  helpfulness, 
and  now  rise  up  to  call  him  blessed." 

Elder  J.  G.  Orr  took  up  his  abode  in  Harrisburg  in  1891, 
and  now  teaches  a  class  in  the  Sabbath  School  of  the  Market 
Square  Church,  and  is  President  of  the  Brotherhood  of 
Andrew  and  Philip  in  that  Church,  but  still  retains  his 
membership  in  this  Session. 

Throughout  these  years,  covering  the  life  of  a  generation, 
the  members  of  Session  have  worked  harmoniously  together, 
and  have  been  bound  to  one  another  by  ties  of  close  friend- 
ship and  warm  affection.  In  the  last  thirty-six  years  this 
congregation  has  had  ten  ruling  elders.  Two  of  them  lived 
far  beyond  the  period  allotted  to  man ;  two  went  to  their 
"long  home"  a  good  while  before  "the  grasshopper"  was 
likely  to  be  "a  burden;"  the  other  six  are  still  in  service. 
Only  two  of  the  ten  were  children  of  the  Falling  Spring 
Church. 

When  Mr.  Holmes  Crawford  resigned  the  clerkship,  I 
was  chosen  his  successor,  much  against  my  will,  and  have 
held  the  office  ever  since. 


THE  CHARTER.* 

i. 

,  AN   ACT 

For  incorporating  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Falling 
Spring,  in  the  County  of  Franklin. 

WHEREAS  sundry  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Falling  Spring  in  the  County  of  Franklin  have,  by  their  Peti- 
tion, prayed  that  their  Congregation  may  be  incorporated, 
and  by  Law  enabled,  as  a  Body  corporate  and  politic,  to  re- 

*For  the  Deed,  see  page  39.    The  spelling' and  punctuation  of  the  charter  fol- 
low the  original. 


130  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

ceive  and  hold  such  charitable  donations  and  bequests,  as 
may  from  time  to  time  be  made  to  their  society,  and  vested 
with  such  powers  and  privileges  as  are  enjoyed  by  other 
religious  Societies  who  are  incorporated  in  this  State. 

AND  WHEREAS  it  is  just  and  right,  and  also  agreeable  to 
the  true  spirit  of  the  Constitution,  that  the  Prayer  of  the 
said  petition  be  granted. 

BE  IT  THEREFORE  enacted,  and  it  is  hereby  enacted  by 
the  representatives  of  the  Freemen  of  the  Commonwealth 
of  Pennsylvania  in  General  Assembly  met,  and  by  the 
authority  of  the  same,  That  Patrick  Vance,  Esquire, 
Benjamin  Chambers,  Senior,  Matthew  Wilson,  Esquire, 
Josiah  Crawford,  John  Boggs,  Esquire,  Edward  Crawford 
Junior,  the  Reverend,  James  Lang  and  James  Moore,  and 
their  successors,  duly  elected  and  appointed  in  such  manner 
as  hereinafter  is  directed,  be,  and  they  are  hereby  made, 
constituted  and  declared  to  be  a  Corporation  and  body 
Politic  in  law  and  in  fact,  to  have  continuance  forever,  by 
the  name,  style,  and  title  of  "The  Trustees  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Falling  Spring  in  the  County  of  Franklin." 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid, 
that  the  said  Corporation  and  their  successors,  shall  forever 
hereafter  be  persons  able  and  capable  in  law,  as  well  to  take, 
receive  and  hold  all  and  all  manner  of  lands,  tenements, 
rents,  annuities,  franchises  and  other  hereditaments,  which 
at  any  time  heretofore  have  been  granted,  bargained,  sold, 
enfeoflfed,  released,  devised  or  otherwise  conveyed  to  the 
aforesaid  congregation  of  Falling  Spring  now  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  Reverend  James  Lang  or  to  any  other 
person  or  persons  to  their  use,  or  intrust  for  them  and  the 
same  lands,  tenements,  rents,  ann  uities,  franchises  and  other 
hereditaments  are  hereby  vested  and  established  in  the  said 
corporation  and  their  successors,  for  ever,  according  to  their 
original  use  and  intention.  And  the  said  corporation  and 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  131 

their  successors  are  hereby  declared  to  be  seized  and  pos- 
sessed with  such  estate  and  estates  therein,  as  in  and  by  the 
respective  grants  bargains,  sales,  enfeoffinents,  releases  de- 
vises, or  other  conveyances  thereof,  is  or  are  declared  limited 
or  expressed,  as  also  that  the  said  corporation  and  their  suc- 
cessors, at  all  times  hereafter  shall  be  able  and  capable  to 
purchase,  have,  hold  receive  and  enjoy  in  fee  simple,  or  of 
any  other  less  estate  or  estates  any  lands  tenements,  rents, 
annuities,  liberties,  franchises  and  other  hereditaments  by 
the  gift,  bargain,  sale  alienation,  enfeofiment,  release,  con- 
firmation or  devise  of  any  person  or  persons,  bodies  politic 
or  corporate  capable  and  able  to  make  the  same,  and  further 
that  the  said  corporation,  and  their  successors,  may  take  or 
receive  any  sum  of  sums  of  money,  or  any  portion  of  goods 
or  chatties  that  shall  be  given  to  them  by  any  person  or 
persons  bodies  politic  or  corporate,  capable  of  making  such 
gift  or  bequest,  such  money,  goods  and  chattels,  to  be  laid 
out  and  disposed  of  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  aforesaid 
congregation,  agreeably  to  the  intention  of  the  donors. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHHR  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid 
that  the  rents,  profits,  and  interests,  of  the  said  real  and 
personal  estate  of  the  aforesaid  church  and  corporation, 
shall,  by  the  said  trustees,  and  their  successors  from  time  to 
time  be  applied  and-  laid  out  for  the  maintenance  and  sup- 
port of  the  gospel  ministry  in  said  congregation  for  repair- 
ing and  maintaining  their  house  of  public  worship,  lots  of 
land  and  other  buildings,  burial  ground,  and  such  pious  and 
charitable  uses,  as  shall  be  agreed  on,  and  determined  by  a 
majority  of  the  congregation  at  large  called  together  on  due 
notice  to  give  their  tree  vote  in  such  case. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid, 
That  when  and  as  often  as  it  may  be  necessary  to  rebuild 
enlarge  or  otherwise  alter  or  repair  the  house  of  public 
worship,  or  any  other  buildings  belonging  to* the  aforesaid 


132  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

church  and  corporation,  or  to  erect  any  new  building,  or  to 
make  any  new  purchases  for  the  use  of  said  congregation, 
then  and  in  such  case,  it  may  be  lawful  for  the  aforesaid 
trustees  and  their  successors,  to  make  sale  of  or  otherwise 
dispose  of  such  part  or  parcel  of  the  said  estate  real  or 
personal,  as  a  majority  of  the  regular  members  of  said  con- 
gregation shall  by  their  vote  direct  the  money  arising  from 
such  sale  or  disposal  to  be  laid  out  and  applied  agreeably  to 
the  vote  of  the  aforesaid  majority. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid 
That  the  said  trustees  and  their  successors  shall  not  by  deed 
or  any  otherwise  grant,  alien,  convey  or  otherwise  dispose 
of  any  part  or  parcel  of  the  estate  real  or  personal  in  the 
said  corporation  vested,  or  to  be  hereafter  vested,  or  change 
or  incumber  the  same  to  any  person  or  persons  whatsoever, 
except  in  the  manner  and  for  the  purposes  herein  before 
mentioned. 

PROVIDED  NEVERTHELESS,  that  no  deed  or  other  convey- 
ance made  by  the  said  trustees  or  their  successors  bonafied 
and  for  valuable  considerations  for  any  part  of  the  real  es- 
tate of  the  said  church  and  corporation  in  case  the  posses- 
sion thereof  pass  immediately  to  the  purchaser  and  continue 
in  him  his  heirs  or  assigns,  shall  be  called  in  question  or 
invalidated  for  want  of  the  consent  of  the  majority  of  the 
regular  members  of  the  said  church,  unless  the  same  be 
done  within  seven  years  from  and  after  the  sale  and  de- 
livery of  possession  of  such  real  estate  to  such  purchaser  or 
purchasers  thereof. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid, 
That  the  said  trustees  or  their  successors,  or  a  majority  of 
them,  may  from  time  to  time  meet,  as  often  as  they  may 
think  necessary  for  the  benefit  of  the  said  corporation, 
either  on  their  own  adjournments  or  on  public  notice  from 
the  pulpit,  the  preceding  Lord's  day  immediately  after  divine 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  133 

service  and  before  the  congregation  is  dismissed  or  on  reg- 
ular notice  in  writing  left  at  the  house  of  each  trustee ;  and 
the  said  trustees,  being  so  met,  be  authorized  and  em- 
powered, and  they  are  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to 
elect  and  appoint  from  among  themselves  a  President ;  and 
also  to  elect  and  appoint  from  among  themselves  or  other 
members  of  said  congregation  a  Treasurer  and  Secretary, 
and  to  move,  change,  or  continue  all  or  either  of  them  at 
pleasure,  as  shall  seem  to  be  most  for  the  benefit  of  said 
corporation. 

PROVIDED  ALWAYS,  that  the  meeting  or  meetings  of  said 
corporation  be  not  called  without  the  concurrence  of  two  or 
more  trustees  or  of  three  or  more  respectable  members  of 
said  congregation  with  the  president,  or  without  the  partic- 
ular business  there  to  be  done,  and  reasons  of  the  meeting 
being  specified  in  the  notification. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid 
the  said  trustees  or  a  majority  of  them,  met,  as  is  herein  di- 
rected before  shall  be  authorized  and  empowered,  and  they  are 
hereby  authorized  and  empowered,  to  make  rules  by  laws 
and  ordinances,  and  to  do  everything  needful  for  the  govern- 
ment and  support  of  the  secular  affairs  of  said  congregation. 

PROVIDED  ALWAYS,  that  the  said  by  laws  and  ordinances 
or  any  of  them  be  not  repugnant  to  the  laws  of  this  Com- 
monwealth and  that  all  their  laws  and  proceedings  be  fairly 
and  regularly  entered  into  a  book  to  be  kept  for  that  purpose. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid, 
That  the  said  corporation  and  their  successors  shall  have 
full  power  and  authority  to  make  have  and  use  one  com- 
mon seal  with  such  device  and  inscription  as  they  shall 
think  proper,  and  the  same  to  break  alter  and  renew  at 
their  pleasure. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid 
That  the  said  corporation  and  their  successors  by  the  name  of 


134  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

the  trustees  of  the  Presbyterian  Congregation  of  Falling 
Spring  in  the  County  of  Franklin  shall  be  able  and  capable 
in  law  to  sue  and  be  sued  plead  and  be  impleaded  in  any 
court,  or  before  any  judge  or  justice  in  all  and  all  manner 
of  suits,  complaints,  pleas,  causes,  matters  and  demands  of 
whatever  kind,  nature  or  form  they  may  be;  and  all  and 
every  matter  or  thing  therein  to  do  in  as  full  and  effectual  a 
manner  as  any  other  person  or  persons  bodies  politic  or  cor- 
porate within  this  Commonwealth  may  or  can  do. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid, 
That  the  said  corporation  shall  always  consist  of  eight 
members  called  and  known  by  the  name  of  the  Trustees  of 
the  Presbyterian  Congregation  of  Falling  Spring,  and  the 
said  members  shall  at  all  times  hereafter  be  chosen  by  ballot, 
by  a  majority  of  such  members,  met  together  of  the  said 
congregation  as  shall  have  been  enrolled,  as  stated  wor- 
shippers with,  and  yearly  contributors  to  the  support  of  the 
said  congregation,  for  at  least  the  space  of  one  year. 

PROVDED  ALWAYS,  that  the  pastor  or  minister  of  said  con- 
gregation lor  the  time  being  shall  be  entitled  to  vote  equally 
with  any  member  of  said  congregation;  and  also,  that  all 
and  every  person  or  persons  qualified  to  vote  and  elect  as 
aforesaid,  shall  and  may  be  also  capable  of  being  voted  and 
elected  a  trustee  as  aforesaid,  provided  he  or  they  be  not 
more  than  two  years  in  arrear  for  pew  rent,  due  the  said 
church  and  congregation. 

AND  BE  IT  FURTHER  ENACTED  by  the  authority  aforesaid, 
That  the  said  Patrick  Vance  Esquire,  Benjamin  Chambers 
Senior,  Matthew  Wilson  Esquire,  Josiah  Crawtord,  John 
Boggs  Esquire,  Edward  Crawford  Junior,  the  Reverend 
James  Lang  and  James  Moore,  the  first  and  present  trustees 
hereby  incorporated  shall  be  and  continue  trustees  until  re- 
moved in  manner  following  viz:  one  fourth  part  in  the 
number  of  said  trustees,  being  the  fourth  part  herein  first 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  135 

named,  shall  cease  and  discontinue  and  their  appointment 
determined  on  the  first  Monday  of  April,  which  will  be  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  seventeen  hundred  and  eighty— six; 
and  the  second  fourth  part  herein  mentioned,  shall  cease 
and  discontinue  and  their  appointment  determine  on  the 
first  Monday  in  April  which  will  be  in  the  year  one  thous- 
and seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven  and  in  lil^e  manner 
the  appointment  of  the  third  fourth  part  herein  mentioned 
shall  cease  and  determine  on  the  first  Monday  in  April 
which  shall  be  in  the  year  seventeen  hundred  and  eighty- 
eight,  and  the  appointment  of  the  last  fourth  part  shall 
cease  and  determine  on  the  first  Monday  in  April  which 
shall  be  the  year  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine  ;  on  which  days  in  each  of  the  aforementioned  years 
respectively  new  election  shall  be  held  of  other  trustees,  in- 
stead of  those  whose  appointments  shall  have  ceased  and  deter- 
mined ;  which  manner  of  discontinuance  determination,  new 
appointments  or  election  shall  be  continued  on  the  first 
Monday  of  April  in  every  year  hereafter  forever,  so  that  no 
person  shall  be  or  continue  a  trustee  longer  than  four  years 
together  without  being  reelected  ;  which  may  be  done  when- 
ever and  as  often  as  the  members  of  said  congregation 
qualified  to  vote,  as  aforesaid  described,  shall  think  fit. 

PROVIDED  ALWAYS,  That  whenever  any  vacancy  shall 
happen  by  the  death  refusal  to  serve,  or  other  removal  of 
any  one  or  more  of  the  said  trustees,  or  in  case  the  mem- 
bers of  the  said  church  shall  neglect  to  meet  on  the  first 
Monday  of  April,  in  any  year,  an  election  shall  be  held,  as 
soon  as  conveniently  can  be  done,  and  some  fit  person  or 
persons  chosen  and  appointed  as  before  directed,  to  supply 
such  vacancy ;  and  that  the  remaining  trustees  have  power 
to  call  a  meeting  of  the  electors  of  said  congregation  for 
that  purpose. 

PROVIDED  ALWAYS,  aud  it  is  hereby  enacted  by  the  an- 


136  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

thority  aforesaid,  That  the  clear  yearly  value  interest  or 
income  of  the  lands,  tenements,  rents,  annuities  or  other 
hereditaments  and  real  estate  of  the  said  corporation  shall 
not  exceed  the  sum  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of 
gold  or  silver  money,  at  the  current  value  thereof  in  the 
Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  exclusive  of  pew  rents  and 
other  free  contributions  belonging  to  the  aforesaid  congrega- 
tion, which  said  money  shall  be  received  by  the  said  trustees 
and  disposed  of  by  them,  for  the  purposes  and  in  the  man- 
ner hereinafter  described  and  directed. 

Signed  by  order  of  the  House 

'jOHN  BAYARD  Speaker. 

Enacted  into  a  law  at  Philadelphia  on  Friday  the  twenty- 
fifth  day  of  March  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  eighty-five. 

SAM'L.  BRYAN 
Clerk  of  the  General  Assembly. 
Enrolled  2ist  July  A.  D.  1785. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  TRUSTEES, 
BY  JOHN  M.  M'DOWELL,  ESQ. 


To  the  writer  has  been  assigned  the  duty  of  speaking  on 
behalf  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Falling  Spring  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  of  writing  the  history  or  an  account  of  the 
different  buildings  and  property  of  said  Church.  From  the 
somewhat  meagre  data  attainable  by  the  writer  he  offers  the 
following : 

Col.  Benjamin  Chambers,  the  founder  of  Chambersburg, 
about  the  year  1730,  settled  on  or  near  the  Falling  Spring, 
or  between  that  stream  and  the  Conococheague  near  their 
junction.  Others  soon  followed  him,  forming  what  he 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  137 

called  "The  Falling  Spring  Settlement."  Col.  Chambers 
and  most,  if  not  all  the  'pioneer  settlers  in  this  valley,  were 
Presbyterians  or  Blue  Stockings.  Among  the  first  build- 
ings erected  by  our  forefathers,  after  putting  up  log  cabins 
to  shelter  them  trom  the  heat,  cold  and  rain,  were  small  log 
buildings  for  school  houses  and  places  for  worship.  The 
church  and  the  schoolhouse  went  together,  generally,  at 
first  one  house  being  used  for  both  purposes.  Col.  Chambers 
early  gave  the  romantic  cedar  grove  on  the  bank  of  the 
Conococheague  Creek  for  a  graveyard,  schoolhouse  and 
church.  In  this  grove,  near  the  spot  where  the  present 
church  stands,  was  erected  at  a  very  early  date,  certainly  be- 
fore 1739,  and  very  probably  about  1737,  a  small  log  build- 
ing which  was  used  as  a  schoolhouse  and  place  of  worship. 
It  was  built  of  rough  logs,  with  doors  on  the  east  and 
southern  sides,  and  lighted  by  two  long  narrow  windows, 
of  the  width  of  two  small  panes  of  glass,  "running  the  en- 
tire length  of  the  northern  and  western  sides  of  the  build- 
ing." This  building  was  small  and  exceedingly  plain. 
When  this  building,  or  "study-house,"  as  it  was  called, 
would  not  hold  or  accommodate  the  congregation,  it  is  said 
that  in  mild  weather,  they  would  resort  to  the  saw— mill  of 
Col.  Chambers,  which  he  had  erected  on  what  was  called 
the  "Island,"  near  the  junction  of  the  Creek  and  Falling 
Spring,  just  across  the  latter  from  the  present  woolen  mill 
and  south  of  the  residence  of  James  E.  Elder.  On  the 
green  sward  surrounding  the  saw— mill,  the  congregation 
would  sit  or  stand,  and  listen  to  the  minister  preaching 
from  the  saw-mill  as  a  pulpit  and  shelter.  It  is  thought 
that  prior  to  the  building  of  the  "study-house"  or  first  log 
church,  preaching  was  had  at  this  saw-mill,  as  the  congre- 
gation was  organized  and  had  supplies  sent  them  from 
Donegal  Presbytery  before  1737. 

In   1767,   this  old  rough  log  building  gave  place   to  a 


138  THK   FALLING   SPRING 

larger  and  more  pretentious  edifice  built  of  hewed  logs, 
which  was  about  thirty-five  feet  wide,  and  seventy  feet  long. 
It  stood  upon  the  same  spot  as  the  present  church  occupies, 
the  front  of  the  building  facing  east.  The  following  agree- 
ment was  made  and  executed  by  the  Trustees  of  the  con- 
gregation to  the  builder  of  the  Church  :* 

"We,  in  the  name  of  the  Falling  Spring  Congregation,  do 
promise  to  pay  or  cause  to  be  paid  to  James  Shanks  or  his 
assigns,  the  sum  of  forty-five  pounds  of  the  currency  of  Penn- 
sylvania, for  the  building  of  a  meeting  house  at  the  Falling 
Spring,  and  when  said  house  is  built  and  sufficiently  done,  the 
money  is  to  be  paid,  as  witness  our  hands  and  his,  5th  day 
of  July,  1767. 

Hia 

"Benjamin  Chambers,  John  Dixon,  Richard  X  Venable, 

mark. 

Matthew  Wilson,  Win.  Gass,  Patrick  Vance,  Benjamin  Gass, 
Robt.  Jack,  Thomas  Burney." 

Test, 

George  Latmer, 
Archibald  Brown. 

This  better  church  cost  then  in  our  money  about  $220.00. 
But  little  though  it  seems,  the  Trustees  would  not  pay  for 
it  until  "sufficiently  done."  No  advance  payment  when 
under  roof  or  during  the  progress  of  the  building,  as  is  gen- 
erally provided  for  now  in  building  contracts,  but  no  money 
was  to  be  paid  until  the  "  house  is  built  and  sufficiently  done." 

On  January  i,  1768,  Col.  Chambers  donated  the  cedar 
grove  and  tract  of  land  on  which  the  church  was  built,  to 
the  congregation,  and  he  and  his  wife  Jean  executed  a  deed 
therefor,  which  is  recorded  in  the  Recorder's  office  of  Frank- 
lin County,  in  Deed  Book  Vol.  A,  pages  210,  211  and  212. 
(See  this  History,  p.  39.)  The  consideration  mentioned  in 

*For  this  agreement  and  much  other  information,  I  am  indebted  to  an  article 
published  in  1851  in  the  Valley  Sentinel,  and  written  by  the  late  Dr,  William  C. 
Lane.  The  original  agreement  was  burned  in  the  fire  of  1864. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


139 


the  deed  was  the  yearly  rental  of  "one  Rose  if  required." 
The  purposes  and  uses  to  which  the  land  so  granted  and 
donated  were  to  be  put,  were  as  follows:  for  "a  Meeting 
House  or  Presbyterian  Church,  Session  House,  School  House, 
or  any  other  Seminary  of  Learning,  (Dancing  Schools,  play 
Houses  and  all  such  sinful  exercises  excepted,)  Burying 
Place. or  Graveyard,  and  such  Religious  Purposes  as  said 
congregation  may  think  proper  and  find  necessary  for  the 
publick  Worship  of  God." 

In  1803  the  log  church  was  removed  because,  I  presume, 
the  congregation  wanted  a  better  and  more  modern  one. 
In  its  place  and  on  its  site  a  substantial  stone  church  building 
was  erected.  This  was  a  plain,  simple,  unpretentious,  but 
neat  and  beautiful  edifice,  being  the  same  building  we  now 


occupy,  though  not  so  long.  As  the  minutes  ol  the  Board 
of  Trustees  prior  to  1864  and  other  records  were  destroyed 
in  the  great  fire  of  that  year,  we  are  unable  to  give  the  cost 
of  this  building,  or  any  of  the  transactions  of  the  congrega- 
tion or  Board  of  Trustees  until  1864. 

About  1840  a  two  story  brick  Lecture  and  Sunday  School 


140 


THE    FALLING   SPRING 


building  was  erected  on  the  southeast  corner  of  the  church 
property,  extending  over  on  land  belonging  to  the  Hon. 
George  Chambers  and  given  by  him  to  the  congregation  so 
long  as  this  building  should  be  used  for  religious  purposes. 
On  August  25,  1842,  the  Hon.  George  Chambers  donated 
to  the  congregation,  as  an  addition  to  the  cemetery,  a  lot  on 
the  southern  side  of  that  portion  of  the  grant  by  Col.  Benj. 
Chambers  used  as  a  burial  ground,  and  a  lot  on  the  northern 
side  of  said  burying  ground.  This  deed  is  recorded  in 
Deed  Book,  Vol.  33,  page  104. 

'  In  1857,  during  the  Rev.  Joseph  Clark's  pastorate,  the 
church  building  of  1803  was  enlarged  and  altered,  as  seen 


in  the  picture.  A  large  door  was  put  in  the  centre  of  the 
front  wall,  where  the  window  now  is,  leading  into  a  vesti- 
bule, from  which  entrance  was  made  into  the  audience— room 
through  two  doors  at  either  side,  and  from  which  stairs  led 
up  to  the  gallery  over  the  vestibule,  where  the  choir  sat 
until  1866,  when  it  was  brought  down  to  the  back  part  of 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


141 


the  church.  The  congregation  gradually  increased  in  num- 
bers and  more  pews  were  wanted.  In  August,  1868,  it  was 
determined  to  make  the  following  alterations  and  improve- 
ments: The  cupola  was  taken  oft,  the  gallery  removed, 
the  vestibule  thrown  into  the  church,  two  doors  made,  one 
in  each  tower,  a  large  window  put  in,  in  place  of  the  front 
door,  stained  glass  windows  put  in,  a  platform  or  raised 
floor  placed  in  front  of  the  large  window  for  the  choir,  and 
the  ceiling  removed  and  the  present  one  put  on ;  and  in  1 869 
a  new  and  handsome  walnut  pulpit  was  placed  in  the 
church  by  Col.  and  Mrs. 
Thos.  B.  Kennedy  at  their 
expense,  and  a  pulpit 
table  presented  by  Mr. 
Leonard  B.  K  i  n  d  1  i  n  e. 
No  record  is  made  of  the 
cost  of  these  improve- 
ments, although  a  sub- 
scription was  taken  up 
therefor. 

After  the  revival   of 
1876   the  old    Lecture 
Room    on    the    corner 
seemed  inadequate  to  ac- 
commodate  the  increased 
attendance  at  the  weekly 
meetings    of  the    congre- 
gation.    On   October    18, 
1876,    a     Building    Com- 
mittee   was    appointed   to 
invite  and  receive  bids  for         THE  DENNY  MEMORIAL. 
a    "new    Lecture-room    and    Sabbath-School    Building." 
After  a  number  of  joint  meetings  of  the  Trustees  and  the 
congregation  to  consider  the  question  of  a  new  building, 


142 


THE   FALLING   SPRING 


the  present  chapel  was  decided  upon,  and  erected  in  1877-8 
at  a  cost  of  $5899.89.* 

The  old  Lecture-Room  was  torn  down,  sold  and  removed, 
and  part  of  the  land  on  which  it  stood  reverted  to  the  heirs 
of  its  donor. 

In  the  fall  of  1883  a  new  furnace  was  put  in  the  church 
at  a  cost  of  $341.52^ 

In  1885  a  pipe  organ  was  purchased  from  Hook  &  Hastings, 
of  Boston,  by  a  committee  (appointed  by  the  Organ  Associa- 
tion, which  had  been  in  existence  some  time  raising  funds  for 

__..__._  this  purpose,)  and  placed 
in  the  annex  which  was 
built  in  the  rear  of  the 
church  by  the  Trustees, 
the  church  was  painted 
inside  and  out,  new  glass 
placed  in  the  windows,  a 
new  slate— roof  put  on,  the 
church  wainscoated,  pews 
lowered,  &c.,  at  a  total 
cost  of  $5468.18,  the  cost 
of  the  organ  being 
$2400.00,  the  repairs  and 
annex  the  balance. 

Frank  Thomson,  Esq., 
of  Philadelphia,  in  1889 
made  a  donation  to  the 
church  of  $100.00,  which 
was  by  the  Trustees  set 
apart  as  a  nucleus  for  a 
manse  fund.  This  was 
added  to  by  legacies  from 


THE  THOMSON  MEMORIAL. 


*For  pictures  of  the  Ohurch  and  Chapel  as  they  are  to-day,  see  frontispiece. 
tTwo  memorial  windows  have  been  placed  in  the  Church,  the  Denny  Memorial 
in  1887,  and  the  Thomson  Memorial  in  1892. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  143 

Miss  Margaret  Denny,  Mrs.  Martha  L.  Woods  and  Mrs. 
Emily  Lane,  making  the  fund  in  all  in  1892  about 
$2500.00,  which  the  Trustees  had  set  apart  as  a  manse 
fund.  At  a  congregational  meeting  in  February,  1892, 
the  question  of  the  congregation  securing  a  house  for 
its  pastor  was  raised  and  discussed,  and  a  committee  ap- 
pointed to  confer  wtth  the  .Trustees  on  the  subject.  After 
several  conferences  and  the  raising  of  about  $2500.00  by 
the  committee  by  subscription,  the  present  manse  and 
former  residence  of  Mrs.  Alice  McGowan  was  purchased  for 
$6200,  and  the  deed  for  the  same  given  the  congregation, 
November  4,  1892. 

In  addition  to  the  aforementioned  property  of  this  church, 
sufficient  money  was  raised  by  voluntary  subscription  in 
1890,  principally  by  the  exertions  of  our  former  pastor,  the 
Rev.  Jno.  G.  Hibben,  and  his  estimable  wife,  to  purchase 
from  Dr.  Robt.  C.  Hays  a  lot  of  ground  on  West  London 
Street,  60  feet  wide  by  60  feet  deep,  and  erect .  thereon  a 
neat  and  substantial  frame  building  about  35  by  50  feet,  for  a 
Chapel  or  Mission  Sunday-School,  at  a  total  cost,  (including 
a  furnace  put  in  this  fall,  largely  the  donation  of  Prof.  M.  R. 
Alexander  and  Mrs.  T.  B.  Kennedy,)  of  $771.59.  A  deed 
for  this  lot  was  duly  executed  to  the  Church. 

On  March  25,  1785,  an  Act  of  the  Legislature  was  passed 
chartering  this  congregation  by  the  corporate  name  of  "The 
Trustees  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Falling  Spring  in 
the  County  of  Franklin."*  Since  that  date  its  property 
and  temporal  affairs  have  been  managed  by  a  board  of  eight 
Trustees.  The  Act  of  Incorporation  provides  for  eight 
Trustees  to  be  elected  on  the  first  Monday  of  April  annually 
by  the  contributors  to  the  Church  and  the  Pastor,  two  to  be 
elected  each  year  to  serve  four  years.  This  Act  is  recorded 
in  Law  Book  No.  n,  page  474. 

•For  this  Charter  see  page  129. 


144  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

The  revenue  of  the  Church  for  payment  of  Pastor's  salary, 
light  and  fuel,  sexton,  and  other  expenses,  has,  I  think, 
been  derived  from  the  rentals  of  the  pews  ever  since  the 
second  log  church  was  erected.  These  rentals  have  been 
payable  quarterly,  except  during  the  year  1876,  when  they 
were  paid  weekly  by  envelopes.  Since  January  i,  1877, 
they  have  been  payable  quarterly.  In  1866  the  rentals  from 
pews  amounted  to  $1970.00.  In  1868  they  were  increased, 
amounting  to  $2550.00,  if  all  the  pews  were  rented.  In 
1876  all  the  pews  were  assessed  an  additional  ten  per  cent, 
and  in  1882  they  were  increased  twenty  per  cent  more.  The 
revenue  from  pew*  rents  has  rarely  been  sufficient  to  meet 
the  annual  expenses,  leaving  a  deficit  every  few  years,  to  be 
made  up  by  voluntary  subscriptions  from  the  congregation. 
All  buildings,  improvements  and  repairs  have  generally  been 
paid  by  subscriptions.  The  church  proper  is  now  free  from 
debt,  and  has  been  thus  free  for  several  years.*  Except  the 
last  year  ®r  two,  the  church  has  generally  had  a  debt,  large 
or  small,  resting  on  it.  When  Dr.  J.  A.  Crawford  was 
called  in  1867,  he  was  given  a  salary  of  $1300.00  and  house 
rent.  In  1868,  his  salary  was  increased  to  $1800.00  per 
annum,  and  has  continued  at  that  figure  ever  since.  In 
1887  Dr.  Crawford  was  made  Pastor  Emeritus  at  a  salary 
of  $300.00. 

All  the  records  having  been  burned,  I  have  no  means  of  as- 
certaining the  names  and  time  of  service  of  the  Trustees  from 
1768  to  1864,  except  from  the  memory  of  the  older  members 
of  our  church,  and  as  few  of  our  present  members  can  name 
the  present  Trustees,  so  our  older  members  can  give  me  but 
few  names  of  those  serving  the  church  prior  to  1864.  I  have 
appended  hereto  a  list  of  all  the  names  of  Trustees  that  I 
have  been  able  to  collect.  From  the  building  agreement  of 
1767  I  get  the  names  of  the  nine  Trustees  signing  that 

*There  is  still  a  mortgage  on  the  Manse  of  S2JOO.OO. 


Born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  12, 1789.  Elected  ;i  Ruling  Elder  in  1840. 
Superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  School  for  some  years  prior  to  1846. 
Died  Aug.  2, 1848. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  145 

paper.  In  the  deed  of  Benjamin  Chambers  of  January  i, 
1768,  one  year  later,  are  given  the  names  of  the  then  Trustees, 
and  I  presume  that  Benjamin  Chambers  was  also  a  Trustee 
at  that  time.  .  The  Charter  gives  the  names  also  of  the  first 
eight  Trustees  who  served  from  date  of  charter  until  their 
successors  were  elected. 

Prior  to  1864,  the  only  persons  that  we  know  certainly 
served  this  church  as  Trustees  from  the  date  of  its  charter 
in  1785,  were  Col.  Benjamin  Chambers,  who  served  until 
1787,  when  "on  account  of  his  advanced  age  and  infirmities 
he  asked  leave  to  resign."  The  seven  others  are  mentioned 
in  the  charter.  Mr.  Joseph  Chambers  was  an  active,  zealous, 
and  efficient  member  of  the  Board  until  his  death  in  1851. 
He  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  Lucy  C.  George  of  our  Church. 
The  Hon.  George  Chambers  resigned  November  14,  1864, 
having,  as  he  said  in  his  letter  of  resignation,  been  a  Trus- 
tee for.  about  fifty  years,  and  a  very  useful,  faithful,  and 
efficient  member  he  was.  Dr.  Samuel  D.  Culbertsdn,  J. 
Smith  Grier  and  John  Cree  were  trustees  in  1857,  but  how 
long  before  that  year  I  know  not. 

Since  1864  there  have  been  but  twenty-two  Trustees. 
It  seems  to  have  been  the  rule  in  this  church,  that  once  a 
person  was  elected  a  trustee,  he  continued  to  be  such  until 
promoted  to  a  higher  stewardship  in  the  world  beyond. 
Our  honored  President,  Col.  Thos.  B.  Kennedy,  has  been  a 
Trustee  since  1857,  and  President  of  our  Board  since  the 
resignation  of  Judge  Chambers  in  November,  1864.  Mr. 
Samuel  M.  Linn  has  faithfully  served  our  church  since  1865, 
our  efficient  Secretary,  Benjamin  Chambers,  Esq.,  has  been 
a  member  of  our  Board  continuously  since  1876,  and  three 
of  us  since  1883,  the  Hon.  John  Stewart  since  1889,  and  J. 
W.  Sharpe,  Esq.,  since  1891.  Unless  the  precedent  estab- 
lished is  disregarded,  we  may  all  look  forward  to  dying  in 
the  service,  and  having  it  said  of  us,  if  nothing  else,  "he 


146  •  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

was  a  Trustee  of  Falling  Spring  Presbyterian  Church  for 
ten,  twenty,  or  fifty  years,"  as  the  case  may  be.  More  in- 
terest should  be  taken  by  our  church  members  in  the 
election  and  annual  meeting  of  the  Congregation.  I  have 
attended  nearly  every  annual  meeting  for  the  past  twenty 
years,  and  do  not  think  I  have  seen  twenty  persons  present 
at  any  one  meeting.  This  should  not  be.  At  the  annual 
meeting  held  last  April  (1894),  a  resolution  was  adopted, 
asking  the  Trustees  to  call  the  next  and  subsequent  annual 
meetings  in  the  evening,  instead  of  early  morning  as  here- 
tofore. This  will  be  done,  and  we  trust  a  better  attendance 
will  thus  be  secured,  and  the  interest  and  prosperity  of  this 
dear  old  church  advanced,  and  many  precious  souls  be  here 
saved  and  enrolled  among  its  members. 

In  addition  to  the  Trustees  in  service  in  1767,  as  named 
on  page  138,  and  in  1768,  and  those  named  in  the  charter, 
as  found  on  page  130,  all  we  know  of  the  Trustees  prior 
to  1864  is  as  follows: 

Col.  Benjamin  Chambers  was  re-elected  in  1786.  Whether 
others  also  were,  we  have  no  means  of  ascertaining. 

The  Hon.  George  Chambers  served  trom  1814  until  1864, 
when  he  resigned.  Joseph  Chambers  served  to  the  date  of 
his  death  in  1851.  Dr.  Samuel  D.  Culbertson,  John  Cree, 
and  J.  Smith  Grier  were  Trustees  in  1857,  how  much  earlier 
is  not  known. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  Trustees  since  1857 :  Col. 
Thomas  B.  Kennedy,  1857-  ;  W.  H.  McDowell,  1861-65  ; 
James  C.  Eyster,  1861-70;  Wm.  L.  Chambers,  1861-76, 
1881-89;  Win.  G.  Reed,  1861-83;  Dr.  Edmond  D.  Culbert- 
son, 1861-76,  1882-83;  Samuel  M.  Linn,  1865-  ;  Dr. 
George  F.  Platt,  1865-66,  1870-74 ;  Wm.  McLellan,  1865-81; 
James  C.  Austin,  1866-68;  J.  S.  Nixon,  1868-91 ;  John  P. 
Culbertson,  1874-82  ;  Benjamin  Chambers,  1876-  *;  Robert 

•Benjamin  Chambers,  Esq.,  died  April  4, 18!).),  after  the  above  paper  was  read 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 


147 


E.  Coyle,  1876-81 ;  Daniel  O.  Gehr,  1881-83  ;  Win.  B.-Reed, 
1883-  ;  John  L.  Grier,  1883-  ;  John  M.  McDowell, 
1883-  ;  Hon.  John  Stewart,  1889-  ;  Joshua  W.  Sharpe, 
1891-  . 

The  following  have  served  as  Presidents  of  the  Board,  as 
far  as  known:  Hon. 
George  .Chambers,  for 
many  years  prior  to  his 
resignation  in  1 864  ;  Col. 
Thomas  B.  Kennedy, 
1864-  . 

The  -following  have 
served  as  Secretaries  of 
the  Board:  Win.  L. 
Chambers,  1864-76; 
Benjamin  Chambers, 
1876-  . 

The  following  have 
served  as  Treasurers  of 
the  Church :  W.  H.  Mc- 
Dowell, 1864-65;  J.  S. 
Nixon,  1865-66 ;  Wm.  G. 
Reed,  i866-Jan.  3,  1876, 
when  he  resigned ;  J.  S. 


BENJAMIN    CHAMBERS. 


Mcllvaine,  i876-Jan.  13,  1877,  when  he  resigned;  Wm.  G. 
Reed,  1877-     . 

The  lollowing  have  served  as  Sextons  of  the  Church : 
John  Schofield,  for  some  time  prior  to  1864;  Allen  Smith, 
1864  to  Feb.  10,  1868,  when  he  resigned;  Josiah  E.  Scho- 
field, 1868-1877;  Peter  Helfrick,  1877-  . 


148  THE  FALLING  SPRING 

.SKETCH  OF  THE  SABBATH  SCHOOLS, 

BY  j.  s.  M'ILVAINE. 


In  the  year  1816 — or  thirty-five  years  after  Robert  Raikes 
founded  the  first  Sunday-School  in  England, — the  godly 
women  of  Chambersburg  seeing  many  ot  the  youth  of  the 
town  growing  up  in  ignorance  and  in  utter  disregard  of  the 
Lord's  Day,  resolved  to  organize  a  Sunday-School  for  their 
spiritual  and  mental  improvement;  and  a.  meeting  for  the 
purpose  of  considering  the  question  was  called,  of  which 
Rev.  David  Denny  was  the  Chairman.  It  was  resolved, 
that  a  school  be  immediately  started ;  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
Riddle  and  Miss  Catharine  Crawford  were  appointed  to  act 
jointly  as  Superintendents. 

The  school  at  first  was  for  girls  only,  and  was  called  the 
"Female  Sunday-School,"  and  was  held  in  the  Academy.. 
Soon  after,  a  school  for  boys  was  started  in  another  room  of 
the  same  building  by  Mr.  Blood,  Mr.  Ross,  Mr.  Winters 
and  a  few  other  gentlemen.  Finding  the  boys  hard  to 
manage  without  the  persuasive  influence  of  the  ferule  and 
birch,  which  were  so  potent  in  the  control  of  the  week-day 
schools  of  that  period,  their  zeal  flagged  and  the  school  was 
disbanded.  Some  of  the  boys,  however,  were  persuaded  to 
attend  the  girls'  school.  The  school  was  undenominational, 
and  teachers  and  scholars  represented  all  churches  of  the  town. 

After  some  years  denominational  schools  were  organized, 
and  the  original  school,  which  from  the  first  was  composed 
largely  of  the  members  ot  the  Falling  Spring  Church  and 
congregation,  became  the  school  ot  that  Church.  Both 
white  and  colored  children  were  admitted  to  the  school,  and 
this  practice  was  continued  until  the  organization  of  the 
Colored  Mission  School.  The  colored  children  at  first  were 
mostly  slaves,  and  in  one  class  taught  by  Mrs.  Cree  there 
were  three  slaves  owned  by  the  Hon.  George  Chambers. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  149 

From  this,  together  with  the  fact  that  free  schools  had  not 
yet  been  organized,  we  may  reasonably  conclude  that  the 
instruction  given  was  largely  of  a  secular  character,  not, 
however,  to  the  exclusion  of  wholesome  religious  truths  and 
the  elementary  doctrines  of  religion.  Miss  Elizabeth  Ross 
succeeded  the  Misses  Riddle  and  Crawford  as  Superintendent. 

About  1820  the  school  was  transferred  to  the  Grand  Jury 
room  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Court  House,  and  Miss 
Rebecca  Riddle  became  Superintendent.  After  her  mar- 
riage to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Schneck  in  1829  she  resigned.  The 
school  was  then  removed  to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
Mr.  McCracken  became  Superintendent ;  he  was  succeeded 
by  Mr.  Albert  Beatty,  who  served  but  a  short  time,  when 
he  left  town.  The  Hon.  Judge  Thomson  succeeded  him, 
and  held  the  office  until  1846,  and  was  followed  by  Mr.  John 
Cree.  Mr.  Cree  entered  the  school  as  a  teacher  in  1829, 
just  before  its  removal  from  the  Court  House  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  He  continued  in  office  as  Superintendent 
sixteen  years,  resigning  in  1862.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  William  G.  Reed,  who  has  been  a  Ruling  Elder  since 
1 86 1,  and  who  is  one  of  the  few  remaining  links  uniting 
the  past  with  the  present.  Mr.  Reed  continued  in  charge 
of  the  school  until  March  1868.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Elder  George  F.  Platt,  who  continues  to  this  day  the  Super- 
intendent of  the  school,  and  to  whose  faithful  and  efficient 
services  of  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  is  largely  due  its 
present  prosperous  condition.  Durin  the  first  eighteen 
years  of  Dr.  Platt's  superintendency  he  was  absent  from  the 
school  but  six  times ;  for  eight  and  one-half  years  he  was  at 
his  post  at  the  opening  of  the  school  without  a  single  ex- 
ception ; — a  record  of  faithful  and  conscientious  performance 
of  duty  probably  not  surpassed  by  any  superintendent  of  a 
Sabbath-School  in  the  land. 

Previous  to  1868  there  was  no  infant  department  in  the 


150  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

school.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  an  infant  class  was  organ- 
ized under  the  care  of  Mrs.  Eliza  Aston,  but  for  some  reason 
was  for  a  time  disbanded.  Some  time  after,  it  was  reorgan- 
ized, and,  under  the  management  of  Miss  Fannie  Reed,  flour- 
ished, and  has  continued  ever  since  to  be  one  ot  the  most 
interesting  and  hopeful  departments  of  the  Church.  Miss 
Reed  resigned  on  her  marriage  to  Rev.  Frank  Newton,  and 
has  been  serving  the  Lord  faithfully  in  the  Mission  work  in 
India  since  1870.  This  department  has  since  been  in 
charge,  successively,  of  Mrs.  Rose  Senseny,  Miss  Emma 
Smith,  Miss  Maggie  Chambers,  Miss  Emily  B.  Lane,  Mrs. 
Rebecca  Pomeroy,  Mrs.  Martha  Orr,  Miss  Sallie  Reed,  and 
is  now  under  the  care  of  our  Pastor's  wife,  Mrs.  Schenck, 
with  Miss  Madge  Nelson  as  her  assistant. 

There  is  connected  with  the  school  a  colored  Mission 
school  which  originated  as  follows :  In  the  early  part  ot 
the  war  a  large  number  of  colored  people,  taking  advantage 
of  the  opportunity  of  escaping  from  slavery,  fled  north,  and 
many  of  them  stopped  here.  Rev.  Henry  Reeves,  who 
then  had  charge  of  the  Rosedale  Seminary,  moved  with  pity 
for  them  in  their  wretched  poverty  and  ignorance,  conceived 
the  idea  of  gathering  them,  with  the  other  colored  people 
of  the  town,  into  a  Sabbath-School.  He  first  organized  the 
school  in  his  academy,  and  his  lady  teachers  soon  became 
deeply  interested  in  the  scholars,  as  they  made  such  rapid 
progress  and  were  so  hungry  for  knowledge. 

About  the  year  1 863  Mr.  Reeves  removed  to  Philadelphia, 
and  in  1864  Mr.  William  G.  Reed,  who  had  been  one  of  his 
assistants,  took  charge  of  the  Mission  and  it  was  transferred 
to  the  Chapel  of  the  Falling  Spring  Church,  and  continued 
there  until  the  Chapel  was  torn  down.  For  some  time  after, 
the  school  met  in  the  basement  of  the  Baptist  Church  at 
the  foot  of  Queen  Street.  One  of  the  great  features  of  this 
school  was  the  singing ;  many  of  the  refugees  having  fine 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  151 

voices,  and  the  melody  of  200  voices  or  more  poured  forth 
with  the  heart,  if  not  with  the  understanding,  in  the  beauti- 
ful hymns  of  Moody  &  Sankey,  aroused  them  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  entusiasm  and  drew  crowds  of  appreciative  listeners. 

This  Mission  school  died  out  for  some  years,  but  was  re- 
vived, or  rather  a  new  organization  was  formed  during  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  Tohn  Grier  Hibben,  who,  with  his  estima- 
ble wife,  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  wretched  condition  of 
the  people  living  in  what  is  know  as  Wolfstown,  and  were 
instrumental  in  building  what  is  known  as  the  "Wolfstown 
Mission  Chapel"  of  the  Falling  Spring  Church,  and  in  start- 
ing the  school  which  has  continued  since  1890,  to  pour 
fourth  its  healing  balm  upon  the  festering  wounds  which 
sin  has  made,  bringing  joy  to  many  sad  and  sorrowing  hearts. 

This  school  has  been  for  the  last  three  years  under  the 
efficient  Superintendency  of  Mr.  John  M.  McDowell.  The 
present  school  is  composed  of  52  scholars  in  the  senior  depart- 
ment, 21  in  the  primary  class,  with  12  teachers,  and  2  officers. 

The  following  are  the  officers  and  teachers  of  our  Church 
school  to-day :  Dr.  George  F-.  Platt,  Superintendent ;  John 
S.  Mcllvaine,  Ass't.  Sup't;  Frank  M.  Duncan,  Sec'y.  and 
Librarian;  Thos.  H.  Wallace,  Assistant;  Mrs.  Nellie  B. 
Hoopes,  Organist;  Mrs.  H.  R.  Schenck,  Principal  of  the 
Primary  Department.  Teachers :  Mrs.  James  F.  Kennedy, 
Mrs.  M.  C.  Washington,  Mrs.  T.  M.  Nelson,  Mrs.  J.  W. 
Sharpe,  Mrs.  Alice  Grier,  Mrs.  H.  W.  Spessard,  Miss  Emma 
Smith,  Miss  Nana  Stewart,  Miss  Mary  Craig,  Miss  Scott 
King,  and  Messrs.  W.  B.  Reed,  H.  A.  Riddle,  J.  M.  Mc- 
Dowell, A.  Nevin  Pomeroy,  J.  W.  Sharpe,  William  L,usk, 
J.  S.  Mcllvaine  and  Samuel  T.  Clifton. 

In  this  brief  and  rapid  sketch  of  the  Falling  Spring 
Sabbath-School,  we  cannot  stop  to  dwell  upon  the  work  of 
the  many  faithful  teachers  who  have  served  in  this  most  de- 
lightful and  profitable  field  of  the  Church,  and  have  gone 


152  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

up  to  their  rest  and  to  their  reward;  we  may,  however, 
without  invidious  distinction  name  a  few  of  those  who  were 
first  in  the  field  and  did  pioneer  work.  In  connection  with 
Miss  Riddle  and  Miss  Crawford,  the  first  superintendents  of 
the  original  Sunday-School,  should  be  named — Miss  Margaret 
Plummer,  Miss  Rebecca  Riddle,  Miss  Mary  McDowell,  Miss 
Mary  Peach,  Miss  Elizabeth  Ross  and  Miss  Susan  Chambers, 
all  of  whom  gave  of  their  time,  hearty  sympathy  and  prayers 
to  the  cause.  Some  years  later,  among  the  saintly  women 
who  served  the  Lord  in  this  field  was  Mrs.  Frances  Culbert- 
son,  wife  of  Joseph  Culbertson,  Esq.,  familiarly  known  as 
"Aunt  Frances."  She  was  one  of  the  most  faithful,  earnest 
and  self-sacrificing  women  of  her  time.  She  was  "instant 
in  season  and  out  of  season ;"  her  heart  over-flowed  with  sym- 
pathy for  the  poor  and  the  outcast ;  she  was  the  friend  of  the 
colored  people  of  the  town,  and  was  a  teacher  in  their  Mis- 
sion school  for  many  years.  She  was  filled  with  a  consuming 
zeal  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel  in  heathen  lands,  organizing 
the  first  Female  Missionary  Society  in  Carlisle  Presbytery,  and 
gave  her  two  sons  to  the  ministry,  one  of  whom,  the  Rev. 
Simpson  Culbertson,  was  a  missionary  in  China  for  eighteen 
years ;  his  dust  reposes  in  the  midst  of  the  people  to  whom 
he  gave  the  translated  Bible,  and  the  best  part  of  his  life. 

But  we  must  not  trespass  further  upon  your  time  and 
patience,  for  it  were  vain  for  mortal  pen  to  attempt  to  write 
the  history  of  all  these  seventy-eight  years ;  only  God  knows, 
and  Eternity  alone  can  reveal  the  result  of  these  long  years 
of  labor  in  this  most  fruitful  garden  of  the  Lord. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  MISSIONARY  SOCIETIES. 

BY  MRS.  WM.  B.  REED. 


In  this,  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  our  beloved 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  153 

church,  we  have  reached  a  point  where  it  is  well  for  us  to 
look  back  over  the  way  we  have  come,  and  review  what  has 
been  done  in  obedience  to  the  command  of  Christ,  "Go  ye 
therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

It  was  during  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  David  Denny, 
that  the  first  band  of  workers  in  response  to  the  call  of  the 
Misses  Margaretta  and  S.  A.  Chambers,  met  in  the  parlors 
of  Mrs.  Geo.  Chambers,  Sr.,  and  on  that  summer  afternoon 
about  the  year  1834,  the  first  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of 
the  Falling  Spring  Church  was  organized,  with  Miss  Rebecca 
Riddle,  afterward  Mrs.  Schneck,  as  President;  Miss  Anna 
Chambers,  Secretary ;  and  Miss  Alice  Denny,  Treasurer.  I 
quote  the  words  of  one  who  was  present  at  that  meeting, 
Mrs.  Jane  Senseny,  then  Miss  Jane  Davis:  "A  more  faith- 
ful and  earnest  band  of  workers  could  not  be  found,  the 
savor  of  whose  lives  still  lingers  in  the  daughters,  grand- 
daughters, and  nieces  in  the  Church  to-day." 

During  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Daniel  McKinley  early 
in  the  forties,  Home  Mission  work  was  begun.  Boxes  were 
packed  and  sent  to  gladden  the  hearts  of  the  noble  workers 
at  the  outposts,  and  as  the  true  spirit  of  Home  Missions  is 
to  "begin  at  Jerusalem"  and  work  outwards,  the  ladies  of 
the  Church,  under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  Frances  Culbert- 
son,  did  all  they  could,  by  visiting  and  praying  with  the 
poor  and  depraved  of  town,  to  bring  to  them  a  knowledge 
of  Christ  and  His  love. 

Owing  to  the  stormy  times  during  the  war,  the  work 
languished.  But  the  "Macedonian  cry"  was  growing  louder 
and  louder,  and  the  "Come  over  and  help  us"  could  not  be 
neglected  any  longer.  In  the  year  1871,  with  the  aid  of 
Dr.  Crawford,  who  was  then  Pastor  of  the  Church,  the  pres- 
ent Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  organized, 
with  Mrs.  Eliza  Aston,  President;  Miss  Margaretta  Cham- 


154  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

bers,  Treasurer ;  and  Mrs.  J.  S.  Nixon,"  Secretary,  an  office 
she  held,  and  the  duties  of  which  she  most  faithfully  per- 
formed lor  more  than  twenty  years  until  her  death,  when 
she  heard  the  Master's  "Well  done."  The  dues  were  fixed 
at  one  dollar  a  year,  and  eight  collectors  were  appointed ;  of 
that  number  Miss  Lizzie  Gilmore  and  Mrs.  Alice  Grier  are 
still  serving. 

But  it  was  not  until  1876  that  regular  meetings  were  held. 
At  that  time  there  was  a  change  of  officers,  and  it  was  de- 
cided to  hold  regular  meetings  opened  with  devotional 
exercises.  These  have  been  continued  either  monthly  or 
bi-monthly  until  the  present  time.  In  1878,  the  Presby- 
terial  Society  was  organized.  Our  Society  then  became 
auxiliary  to  that,  and  since  that  time  there  has  been  a  steady 
growth.  The  members  now  number  63,  and  the  amount 
raised  has  yearly  increased  from  an  average  of  $85.00  the 
first  few  years,  to  $234.00  in  1894.  The  officers  have  been 
since  organization :  Presidents,  Mrs.  Aston,  Mrs.  Robt.  E. 
Coyle,  Mrs.  T.  B.  Kennedy,  and  Mrs.  Jas.  F.  Kennedy; 
Vice-Presidents,  Mrs.  Mcllvaine,  Mrs.  M.  R.  Alexander; 
Secretaries,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Nixon,  and  Mrs.  Alice  Grier; 
Treasurers,  Miss  Margaretta  Chambers,  Miss  Lizzie  Mc- 
Dowell, Miss  Emma  Smith,  and  Miss  Mary  Bard. 

f  Of  the  Home  Mission  work  there  is  no  record  of  a  formal 
organization  until  1885,  but  soon  after  the  war  the  work  of 
preparing  boxes  for  missionaries  was  again  taken  up,  and 
every  year  with  few  exceptions,  one  and  sometimes  two 
boxes  were  sent,  the  value  of  these  boxes  ranged  from 
$150.00  to  $300.00.  In  1885,  the  present  Woman's  Home 
Missionary  Society  was  organized  as  auxiliary  to  the  Presby- 
terial  Society,  with  Mrs.  Ellen  McLellan,  President ;  Mrs.  Rose 
Senseny,  Vice-President ;  Mrs.  J.  S.  Mcllvaine,  Recording  Sec- 
retary ;  Mrs.  Jas.  F.  Kennedy,  Corresponding  Secretary ;  and 
Mrs.  J.  G.  Orr,  Treasurer.  It  was  decided,  however,  that 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  155 

the  old  line  of  work  should  be  continued,  and  that  the 
annual  dues  should  go  toward  the  preparing  of  the  boxes, 
all  other  money  raised  to  go  through  the  Presbyterial 
Society.  This  has  been  done  with  the  exception  of  one 
year,  when  no  box  was  sent,  and  the  money  was  given  to- 
ward the  building  of  a  chapel  in  Wolfstown,  a  part  of  the 
town  where  Gospel  work  was  very  much  needed.  Regular 
monthly  or  bi-monthly  meetings  have  been  held,  and  the  in- 
terest in  this  work  is  each  year  increasing.  The  Society 
now  numbers  sixty  members,  and  the  amount  raised  the 
past  year  was,  cash,  $107.01,  value  of  box,  $200.00,  total, 
$307.01.  The  only  change  in  officers  until  1894,  has  been 
that  of  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Chauncey  Ives  now  holding  that 
office.  In  1894,  Mrs.  McLellan  resigned,  and  Mrs.  Rose 
Senseny  was  elected  President,  Mrs.  Harry  Riddle,  Vice- 
President,  the  other  officers  remaining  the  same. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Feb.  21,  1881,  Dr.  Crawford  called  a 
meeting  of  the  young  ladies  of  the  Church,  and  twenty-nine 
responded.  He  tried  to  impress  upon  them  the  need  of  the 
Church  for  young  workers,  and  their  duty  to  the  Church, 
and  especially  to  the  work  of  Foreign  Missions,  so  dear  to  his 
own  heart.  The  seed  then  sown  was  watered  by  an  address 
by  Miss  Loring,  given  at  the  annual  Presbyterial  Meeting 
held  at  Greencastle,  and  attended  by  one  of  our  young 
ladies,  Miss  Anna  Linn,  who  on  her  return  called  a  meeting 
at  her  home,  which  resulted,  March  31,  1881,  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Young  Ladies'  Branch  for  Foreign  Missions, 
with  25  members.*  The  following  officers  were  elected: 
Mrs.  W.  B.  Reed,  President ;  Mrs.  Dan  Kennedy,  Vice- 
President;  Miss  Maggie  Chambers,  Secretary;  and  Miss 
Anna  Linn,  Treasurer.  Besides  the  giving  of  annual  dues, 
the  members  have  taken  orders  for  work  of  any  kind  that 
they  could  do,  to  raise  money  for  the  cause,  and  their  faith 

*This  list  of  members  will  be  found  on  pages  108  and  109. 


156  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

has  been  strengthened  and  their  zeal  increased  by  seeing  their 
work  prosper.  They  now  have  a  membership  of  forty-nine, 
and  a  yearly  increase  in  the  amount  raised  from  $88.00  the 
first  year  to  $253.00  in  1894.  A  very  pleasant  feature  has 
been  the  annual  ThankofFering,  which  was  started  by  them 
in  1885,  and  since  followed  by  the  other  societies  with 
great  success.  It  is  largely  due:  to  the  encouraging  words 
and  deeds  of  Dr.  Crawford,  who  started  them  on  the  way 
with  the  motto:  "Let  us  not  be  weary  in  well  doing:  for 
in  due  season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not,"  that  they  have 
held  from  the  first  the  position  of  the  Banner  Branch  of 
the  Presbytery.  The  officers  since  organization  have  been : 
President,  Mrs.  W.  B.  Reed ;  Vice-Presidents,  Mrs.  Dan 
Kennedy,  Mrs.  M.  R.  Alexander,  Mrs.  Wm.  Nixon,  and 
Mrs.  Nevin  Pomeroy ;  Secretaries,  Miss  Maggie  Chambers, 
.  Mrs.  Theo.  Shumaker,  Miss  Grace  McLanahan,  Miss  "Nettie 
King,  Miss  Nana  Stewart,  and  Miss  Mary  Platt ;  Treasurers, 
Miss  Anna  Linn,  Miss  Annie  McDowell,  and  Miss  Alice 
McKnight. 

In  1883,  Mrs.  Wm.  McLellan  started  a  band  among  the 
little  girls,  called  the  "Busy  Bees."  This  was  in  the  inter- 
est of  Foreign  Missions.  They  worked  so  well  that  for  a 
number  of  years  they  were  the  Banner  Band  of  the  Presby- 
tery. In  1887,  Mrs.  McLellan  was  obliged  to  give  it  up, 
and  for  about  a  year  nothing  was  done.  It  was  then  taken 
by  Mrs.  Hibben  and  Miss  Sallie  Reed,  and  was  changed 
from  a  Foreign  to  a  Home  Band.  A  scholarship  was  then 
taken  at  $75.00  a  year,  and  this  pledge  has  been  faithfully 
met  each  year.  They  have  also  done  a  great  deal  at  Christ- 
mas, in  sending  boxes  away,  the  one  sent  last  year  being 
valued  at  $20.00,  and  also  doing  work  at  the  same  time  for 
for  the  Mission  school  at  Wolfstown,  thus  bringing  Christ- 
mas cheer  to  those  who  otherwise  would  have  little.  The 
band  is  now  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Joshua  W.  Sharpe 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  157 

and  Mrs.  Schenck,  Bessie  McKnight  being  the  Secretary, 
and  Elizabeth  Riddle  the  Treasurer. 

In  1887,  a  band  composed  of  boys  and  girls  was  organ- 
ized by  Mrs.  John  G.  Orr,  and  called  the  "Band  of  Trust," 
to  work  for  the  Home  Mission  cause,  but  at  the  close  of  the 
year,  when  the  band  of  "Busy  Bees"  was  changed  to  a 
Home  Mission  band,  as  many  of  the  girls  were  members  of 
that,  it  was  thought  best  to  re-organize,  and  they  then  be- 
came the  "Boys'  Home  Mission  Band."  They  now  have 
fourteen  members,  and  the  amount  raised  the  past  year  was 
$33.44.  They  have  met  with  many  discouragements,  but 
have  persevered,  and  have  done  much  for  the  Master.  I  am 
very  glad  to  record  this  Boys'  Band,  and  may  they  grow  up  to 
manhood  as  workers  lor  the  Lord.  Miss  Mary  Clarke  and 
Miss  Scott  King  now  have  charge  of  the  Band.  . 

Our  Church  has  also  been  represented  in  toreign  lands  by 
the  Rev.  Simpson  Culbertson  in  China,  who  has  been  called 
to  his  reward  and  has  heard  the  Master's  "  Well  done,  good 
and  faithful  servant:  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord;" 
and  also  by  Miss  Fannie  Reed,  who  left  as  Mrs.  Frank 
,  Newton  in  1870  for  India,  where  she  now  labors  with'  her 
husband  and  daughters.  May  there  be  others  who  will  hear 
the  call  and  answer,  "Master,  here  am  I ;  send  me,  send  me." 

Thus  we  see  that,  for  more  than  fifty  years,  work  has  been 
done  in  obedience  to  our  Master's  parting  command.  But 
each  step  in  advance  makes  another  imperative,  and  the 
ever-widening  opportunities  bring  added  responsibilities. 
May  we  so  improve  them,  that,  at  the  last,  it  may  be  said  of 
the  Falling  Spring  Church  as  ol  the  Church  of  Philadelphia, 
"I  know  thy  works:  behold,  I  have  set  before  thee  an  open 
door,  and  no  man  can  shut  it:  for  thou  hast  a  little  strength, 
and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied  my  name." 


158  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

HISTORY  OF  THE  YOUNG  PEOPLE'S  SOCIETY  OF 
CHRISTIAN  ENDEAVOR, 

BY  WM.  B.  REED. 


For  the  past  few  days  we  have  been  dealing  with  the 
early  history  of  this  Church,  and  the  further  back  we  could 
go,  and  call  up  an  honored  and  glorious  past,  the  better.  It 
cannot  be  so  with  my  theme  to-night.  For  the  Young 
People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor  cannot  boast  of  its 
great  age,  but  as  the  youngest  child  of  the  Church  must, 
notwithstanding  its  youth,  ask  a  place  side  by  side  with  any 
of  the  subjects  before  considered. 

Many  of  the  ways  of  Church  work  of  to-day  would  seem 
very  strange  indeed  to  those  whose  lives  and  deeds  we  are 
now  celebrating.  But  an  advance  in  Christian  work  is  only 
in  keeping  with  a  like  advance  all  along  the  line  ot  the  activ- 
ities of  the  age  in  every  direction.  As  in  the  natural  world, 
the  world  of*  business,  the  methods  employed  now  could 
not  have  been  even  dreamed  of  or  predicted  fifty  years  ago, 
so  the  methods  ot  Christian  work  to-day  must  at  least  keep 
step  with  the  same  advance  in  other  directions.  Along  this 
line  is  the  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor. 
It  is  but  13  years  since  Dr.  Clark,  the  Pastor  of  a  Congre- 
gational Church  in  Portland,  Maine,  feeling  the  needs  of  a 
more  active  work  among  the  young  people  of  his  Church, 
called  a  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  subject, 
and  from  that  meeting  resulted  the  formation  of  the  first 
Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  So  well  adapted  was  it  to  the  wants  of  the 
young,  and  so  heartily  did  they  fall  in  with  the  work,  that 
from  the  first  the  growth  in  numbers,  power  and  influence 
was  such  that  the  little  spark  became  a  flame,  and  spread 
until  the  torch  thus  lighted  shone  from  town  to  town  in  New 
England,  from  state  to  state,  from  land  to  land,  until  to-day 
it  is  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  evangelizing  forces  of 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  159 

modern  times,  yes,  the  most  wonderful  world-wide  Christian 
movement  of  the  age.  Who  will  say  God's  smile  does  not 
rest  upon  it?  Verily  it  is  no  work  of  man's,  or  long  since 
would  it  have  come  to  naught;  "but  if  it  be  of  God,  ye 
cannot  overthrow  it." 

Our  Session  very  often  in  its  meetings  spoke  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  like  Society  in  our  Church,  and  at  its  meeting 
on  January  9,  1888,  after  earnest  discussion  of  the  subject 
appointed  a  committee,  consisting  of  our  Pastor  Mr.  Hibben, 
John  G.  Orr  and  William  B.  Reed,  to  look  into  the 
matter  and  take  such  action  as  they  might  deem  best.  This 
Committee  conferred  with  a  number  of  the  active  workers  in 
the  Church  and  reported  favorably  to  the  Session,  Feb.  6, 
and  as  a  result  we  have  the  organization  of  our  Young 
People's  Society  in  March  of  1888,  the  first  Society  in  our 
city,  if  not  in  the  county.  Our  first  officers  were :  Mr.  T. 
M.  Nelson,  President ;  Mrs.  Wm.  G.  Nixon,  Secretary.  The 
"Ironclad  Pledge"  was  adopted,  and  the  Society  was 
launched  with  great  interest.  From  the  first,  we  found  the 
work  pleasant  and  well  suited  to  our  young  people,  and  they 
have  ever  responded  nobly  to  any  calls  for  Christian  work 
asked  of  them. 

We  met  at  first  on  Friday  evenings  for  prayer,  but.  this 
was  afterwards  changed  to  Sabbath  evenings  before  Church 
services,  at  which  time  we  still  meet.  We  started  with 
about  25  members,  and  now  have  on  our  roll  51  active  and 
7  associate  members.  The  work  was  not  without  opposition 
at  first,  but  now  we  ieel  that  our  people  generally  are  heartily 
in  sympathy  with  it.  Our  average  attendance  now  is  per- 
haps 50  to  60  every  Sabbath  evening.  The  meetings  are 
interesting,  and  the  pledge  is,  I  think,  faithfully  kept.  The 
work  does  not  consist  of  merely  a  meeting  for  prayer,  but 
the  several  committees,  Lookout,  Prayer-meeting,  Execu- 
tive, Social,  Floral,  Music,  and  Good  Literature  Committees 


l6o  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

give  plenty  of  work  for  all  our  members.  And  while  all 
these  committees  have  been  very  faithful,  I  think  the  Floral 
Committee  deserves  great  credit  for  its  work.  These  beau- 
tiful flowers  we  see  on  the  pulpit,  and  these  decorations  we 
have  from  time  to  time,  are  their  work,  and  tell  of  their 
faithfulness.  Special  commendation  must  be  given  to  the 
committee  now  in  charge,  whose  Chairman,  Miss  Bessie 
McKnight,  has  never  failed  since  her  appointment,  to  give 
some  flowers  each  Sabbath,  if  they  were  at  all  to  be  had. 
These  flowers,  after  serving  their  purpose  in  the  Church,  are 
sent  with  messages  of  love  and  sympathy  to  the  sick,  and 
many  a  sick  room  has  thus  been  cheered  by  the  ministrations 
of  this  committee.  The  Social  Committee  has  also  given 
us  some  pleasant  entertainments.  Among  these  may  be 
mentioned  three  very  interesting  lectures,  one  by  the  Rev. 
David  H.  Riddle  on  "Lord  Macaulay,"  one  by  the  Rev.  John 
K.  Demorest,  D.  D.,  on  "Mary  Queen  of  Scots,"  and  one 
by  one  of  our  worthy  Presidents,  Joshua  W.  Sharpe,  Esq., 
on  "Egypt" 

The  work,  while  not  what  we  should  like  to  have  it,  yet 
we  trust  is  such  that  we  are  making  some  progress.  Of  our 
present  membership,  at  least  22  have  been  won  from  associ- 
ate membership,  and  have  united  with  the  Church,  and  are 
now  enrolled  as  active  members.  And  thus  are  we  develop- 
ing and  keeping  up  an  interest  in  Church  work  among  the 
young.  Our  present  list  of  officers  is  as  follows:  Presi- 
dent, John  G.  Wiestling;  Vice-President,  Miss  Arie  Kennedy; 
Second  Vice-President,  Miss  Mary  Craig;  Corresponding 
Secretary,  Miss  Bessie  McGowan;  Recording  Secretary* 
Frank  M.  Duncan. 

We  are  glad  to  be  a  part  of  the  mighty  host  whose  num- 
bers have  reached  the  grand  total,  according  to  the  report  at 
the  Cleveland  Convention  last  July  of  33, 700  Societies,  with 
a  membership  of  2,023,800,  from  whose  ranks,  says  the 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  l6l 

same  report,  last  year  183,650  associate  members  have 
united  with  the  Church  and  are  now  active  workers  in  this 
glorious  cause.  By  the  same  report  we  are  told  that 
$225,000  found  their  way  into  the  treasuries  of  the  different 
Church  Boards,  for  Home  and  Foreign  Missions,  from  the 
Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  The  work  moves  on.  Who  can  estimate 
the  power  for  good  of  this  consecrated  host,  the  very  flower 
of  the  Church,  as  they  take  their  places  and  exert  their  in- 
fluence for  good  in  every  direction  in  the  Church  and  in  the 
world?  Our  prayer  is  that  the  work  may  not  lag,  but  go 
forward  and  upward  until  we  shall  all  be  called  home  to 
exchange  the  Cross  for  the  Crown,  and  when  we  shall  have 
sung  for  the  last  time  on  earth  our  Christian  Endeavor 
Parting  Song,  "God  be  with  you  till  we  meet  again." 


OFFICERS. 


NOV.    12,   1894. 


Pastor. 
Harris  R.  Schenck,  225  North  Main  Street. 

Elders. 

Dr.  George  F.  Platt,  1861,       William  B.  Reed,  1885, 
William  G.  Reed,  1861,  John  S.  Mcllvaine,  1885, 

H.  A.  Riddle,  1885,  John  G.  Orr,  1885. 

Clerk  of  Session — Dr.  George  F.  Platt. 
Trustees. 

Term  Expires  1895. 

William  B.  Reed,  Joshua  W.  Sharpe,  Esq. 

Term  Expires  1896. 

Hon.  John  Stewart,  Benj.  Chambers,  Esq.,  Sec'y-* 

*After  Mr.  Chambers'  death,  Mr.  T  M.  Nelson  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy 
and  Mr.  J.  M.  McDowell  was  elected  Secretary. 


162  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

Term  Expires  1897. 

Thomas  B.  Kennedy,  Prest.     Samuel  M.  Linn. 

Term  Expires  1898. 

John  L.  Grier,  John  M.  McDowell,  Esq.    . 

Treasurer. 

William  G.  Reed,  447  East  Market  Street. 

Musical  Director. 

H.  A.  Riddle. 

Organist. 

Miss  Anna  W.  Stewart. 
Superintendent  of  Church  Sabbath  School. 

Dr.  George  F.  Platt. 
Superintendent  of  Mission  Sabbath  School. 

John  M.  McDowell. 
Superintendent  of  Industrial  School. 

Mrs.  T.  B.  Kennedy. 
President  of  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

Mrs.  James  F.  Kennedy. 
President  of  Woman's  Home  Missionary  Society. 

Mrs.  Rose  Senseny. 
President  of  Young  Ladies*  Branch  for  Foreign  Missions. 

Mrs.  William  B.  Reed. 
President  of  Girls'  "Busy  Bees'1'1  Mission  Band. 

Mrs.  Joshua  W.  Sharpe. 
Superintendents  of  Boys?  Home  Mission  Band. 

Miss  Mary  Clarke  and  Miss  Scott  King. 
President  of  Young  Peopled  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor. 

John  G.  Wiestling. 

Superintendent  of  Little  Light  Bearers. 
Miss  Bessie  S.  McGowan. 

Sexton. 
Peter  Helfrick,  80  West  King  Street. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  163 

FORM  OF  RECEPTION  OF  MEMBERS. 


NOTE.— It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  admission  of  members  is  committed 
to  the  Session  of  the  Church.  Besides  this  PRIVATE  admission  it  is  our  custom 
to  call  upon  new  members  to  make  the  following  public  avowal  of  their  faith  in 
Christ  and  their  engagement  to  be  the  Lord's.  Of  course  those  absent  from 
these  occasions,  by  voluntarily  remaining  in  our  membership,  renew  this  cove- 
nant as  solemnly  and  as  truly  as  If  present,  and  are  bound  by  their  holv  vows 
of  obedience  and  helpfulness  and  attendance. 

This  pledge  which  we  take  unto  God  is  solemn  in  its  nature  and  serious  in  its 
consequences. 

BELOVED  IN  THE  LORD: 

The  Session  having  already  received  and  enrolled  you  as 
a  member  of  this  Church,  you  are  now  to  be  publicly  recog- 
nized by  giving  your  assent  to  the  substance  of  Christian 
faith  as  follows: 

The  Church  of  God  is  not  of  man's  appointment.  The 
great  Head  of  the  Church  and  Creator  of  all  men  formed 
believers  into  the  Household  of  Faith/  Our  Lord  bade 
His  disciples  "confess"  Him  "before  men,"  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  speaking  through  the  apostle  Paul,  declares  that  "if 
thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt 
believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath  raised  Him  from  the 
dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved."" 

Being  moved,  as  we  trust,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  join 
yourself  to  the  people  of  God,  you  have  now  come  to  make 
public  acknowlegement  of  this  your  desire  and  purpose. 

We  believe  in  one  living  and  true  God,  Father,  Son  and 
Holy  Ghost,  Creator  and  Ruler  of  all,  infinitely  perfect  and 
worthy  of  love,  worship  and  obedience.0 

We  believe  in  one  Saviour,  Jesus  the  Christ,  God  mani- 
fest in  the  flesh,  who  in  His  life  fulfilled  the  Law,  and  by 
His  death  atoned  for  our  sins  and  makes  us  worthy,  by  His 
grace,  of  fellowship  with  Him.d 

a  Eph.  1:10,  22,  23;  Col.  1:18;  Eph.  5:23,  27,  32. 

b  Mt.  10:32,  33;  Rom.  10:0-10. 

c  Deut.  6:4;  1  Cor.  8:4-6;  Mt.  28:19:  2  Cor.  13:14. 

d  John  1:1,  14;  1  Tim.  3:16;  Mt.  5:17;  1  Peter  1:19,  20;  1  Tim.  2:6;  1  Oor.  1:30. 


164  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

We  believe  in  one  Holy  Spirit,  who  convinces  of  sin,  re- 
news the  heart,  and  transforms  the  life.6 

We  believe  in  one  Rule  of  doctrine  and  duty,  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  the  divinely  inspired  and  infallible  guide/ 

We  believe  in  one  condition  of  salvation,  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  manifest  in  godly  sorrow  for  sin,  and  in  a 
godly  life.8 

We  believe  in  one  Church  of  God,  embracing  all  who  are 
united  to  Christ  by  saving  faith  and  divine  grace.11 

We  believe  that  the  holy  Sacraments  of  the  Christian 
Church  are  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper;  the  former 
signifying  and  sealing  our  union  with  Christ,  the  forgive- 
ness of  our  sins,  and  our  engagement  to  be  the  Lord's  ;k  and 
the  latter  by  giving  and  receiving  bread  and  wine  according 
to  Christ's  appointment,1  showing  forth  His  death  and  the 
communion  of  His  people  witn  Him  by  faith,  and  giving 
spiritual  nourishment  and  growth  in  grace  to  those  who 
worthily  receive  it. 

We  believe  that  the  Christian  Sabbath  is  to  be  kept 
holy  to  the  Lord  by  abstinence  from  all  works  except  those 
of  necessity  and  mercy,  and  by  proper  attendance  upon 
divine  worship  as  due  to  God  alone.m 

We  believe  in  the  Resurrection  of  the  dead." 

We  believe  in  a  coming  judgment  for  all  mankind,  when 
men  will  be  judged  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body, 
and  when  the  wicked  shall  go  away  into  eternal  punish- 
ment, and  the  righteous  into  eternal  life.0 

Confessing  this  as  your  faith,  you  are  now  to  enter  into 
formal  covenant  with  God  and  this  Church. 

e    John  16 : 7-14 ;  2  Thess.  2:13. 

f    2  Tim.  3:15-17;  2  Peter  1:19;  1  Thess.  2:13. 

s    Eph.  2:8;  Rom.  1:16-32;  2  Cor.  7:10;  Is.  55:7. 

h    Eph.  1:10,  22,  23;  1  Cor.  '2:12-13. 

k    Mt.  28:19;  1  Cor.  11:23-26;  Rom.  4:11;  Col.  2:1'-12;  Gal.  3:27;  Acts  2:38. 

1    1  Cor.  11:23-29;  1  Cor.  10:  16,  17,  21. 

m  Gen.  2:3;  Ex.  20:8-11;  Is.  56:2,  4-7;  Is.  58:13-14;  Mt.  28:1;  John  20:1,  19,  26;  Acts 
20:7;  1  Cor.  16:1-2;  Rev  1:10;  Mt.  5:17-18;  Neh.  13:15-21. 

n    1  Cor.  15:42-44;  John  5:28-29. 

o  1  Cor.  4:1-5;  3:13-15;  2  Oor.  5:9-10;  Rom.  14:10-12;  Acts  10:42;  Mt.  25:14-46;  Rev. 
20:12-15. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH.  165 

[ADDRESS  TO  THOSE  BAPTIZED  IN  INFANCY.] 

You,  having  been  baptized  in  infancy,  are  now  to  come 
into  full  communion  with  the  Church  whose  external  privi- 
leges you  have  already  enjoyed.  By  your  voluntary  choice 
of  Christ,  and  by  your  saving  faith  in  Him,  you  are  now, 
we  trust,  no  longer,  an  heir  merely  of  covenant  privileges, 
but  of  salvation  also.  The  vows  and  obligations  assumed 
in  your  behalf  by  Christian  parents  in  your  baptism,  you 
do  now  ratify  and  confirm.  With  your  own  hand  you  sub- 
scribe unto  the  Lord,  set  your  seal  to  the  covenant  with 
God,  and  declare  "I  am  the  Lord's."  You  hereby  deliber- 
ately separate  yourself  from  all  that  is  worldly,  from  all  that 
may  hinder  your  own  close  fellowship  with  Christ,  or  that 
may  bring  reproach  upon  his  Church." 

Do  you  thus  promise? 

[ADDRESS  TO  THOSE  NOT  HITHERTO  BAPTIZED.] 

You,  who  have  not  hitherto  enjoyed  even  outward  mem- 
bership in  the  Church  ot  God,  now,  in  the  presence  of  God, 
His  holy  angels,  and  this  assembly,  formally  separate  your- 
self from  the  world,"  that  you  may  take  your  place  as  a 
"fellow-citizen  with  the  saints,  and  the  household  of  God." 
Let  your  baptism  this  day  be  in  reality  the  "putting  away 
of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,"  and  the  "putting  on"  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

[Here  let  baptism  be  administered.] 

And  now,  beloved,  renouncing  the  world,  the  flesh,  and 
the  devil,  you  do  solemnly  covenant  that  you  take  God  the 
Father  to  be  your  God,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  be  your 
Saviour  and  Master,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  your  Sanctifier. 

You  take  the  Word  of  God  as  your  Rule  of  faith  and 
practice. 

You  take  the  people  of  God  to  be  your  people. 

p    2  Cor.  6:14-18;  7:1;  1  John  2:15-17;  Rom!  12:2;  14:21;  I  Cor  8:9-12. 


1 66  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

You  do  now  give  yourself  up,  soul  and  body,  time  and 
talents,  powers  and  possessions,  your  business  and  your 
pleasures,  all  that  you  have,  are,  or  shall  be,  unto  Jesus 
Christ,  to  be  His  and  serve  Him  forever,  and  at  His  sovereign 
disposal  in  all  things. 

You  promise,  in  reliance  on  Divine  grace,  to  continue  in 
communion  with  God's  people,  by  a  regular  attendance  on 
the  Word  and  ordinances,  by  a  walk  and  conversation  as 
becometh  the  Gospel,  and  by  submitting  to  the  discipline 
of  the  Church  as  here  administered. 

To  this  covenant  do  you  give  your  cordial  and  hearty 
consent,  promising  by  God's  help  to  keep  your  consecration 
unto  the  end? 

[ADDRESS  TO  THOSE  RECEIVED  BY  LETTER.] 

Having  already  publicly  confessed  Christ,  you  to-day  re- 
new your  covenant  with  God  and  transfer  your  relations  to 
this  Church.  May  God  give  you  grace  to  renounce  the 
world,  to  honor  God,  and  to  promote  the  spread  of  the 
Gospel,  the  peace  and  good  name  of  the  Church,  and  the 
salvation  of  souls. 

To  this  end  do  you  therefore,  in  the  presence  of  God,  give 
your  hearty  and  cordial  assent  to  the  covenant  of  this 
Church,  as  just  read  ? 

[ADDRESS  TO  ALL  THE  NEW  MEMBERS.] 

Do  you,  relying  only  upon  God's  grace,  promise  to  be 
faithful  to  the  interests  of  this  Church ;  to  labor  with  it  in 
all  works  of  Christian  well-doing ;  to  attend  upon  ~all  its  or- 
dinances so  far  as  you  may  be  able*  to  submit  to  its  discip- 
line ;r  and  in  all  things  to  study  its  peace,  its  prosperity,  its 
usefulness,  its  good  name,  and  its  upbuilding  on  the  most 
holy  faith? 

Do  you  promise  to  its  Pastor,  its  Elders,  and  to  its  mem- 

q     Heb.  10:24-25. 

r    1  Thess.  5:12-13;  Heb.  13:17;  2  Thess.  3:6,  10-15;  Titus  1:10-13;  Mt.  18:15-18. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  167 

bers  severally  the  offices  of  kindly  affection  with  brotherly 
love ;  of  sympathy,  hospitality  and  charity ;  and  that  you 
will  in  all  ^things  study  to  promote  their  welfare  in  spiritual 
things,  to  the  end  that  we  may  mutually  grow  in  grace  and 
in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ? 
[Here  let  the  church-members  rise.] 

In  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  the  officers  and 
members  of  this  Church,  do  now  affectionately  welcome  you 
to  our  membership  and  tellowship  in  this  Household  of  Faith. 

And  we,  on  our  part,  while  solemnly  renewing  hereby  our 
own  covenant,  engage  to  walk  with  you  in  all  lowliness  of 
mind,  and  to  watch  over  you  as  an  heir  with  us  of  a  com- 
mon grace  and  hope. 

We  promise  to  you  our  brotherly  sympathy,  counsel  and 
help,  so  long  as  you  shall  continue  with  us  as  a  member  of 
the  body  of  Christ. 

We  humbly  pray  for  Divine  help,  that  God  would  enable 
us,  by  His  Grace,  to  fulfill  the  solemn  covenant  which  we 
have  taken  on  our  souls,  and  that  we  may  be  faithful  to  each 
other,  and  together  seek  the  present  and  eternal  welfare  of 
our  fellow  disciples,  and  udo  good  unto  all  men,  especially 
unto  them  who  are  of  the  Household  of  Faith." 

And  now,  beloved,  I  charge  you  every  one  before  God  and 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  judge  the  quick  and  the 
dead  at  His  appearing  and  His  Kingdom,  that  you  walk 
worthy  of  your  high  vocation,  adorning  the  doctrine  of  God 
your  Saviour  in  all  things ;  living  henceforth  no  longer  unto 
yourselves,  but  unto  Him  who  loved  you  and  gave  Himself 
for  you.  And  now  unto  Him  who  is  able  to  keep  you  from 
falling  and  to  present  you  faultless  before  the  presence  of 
His  glory  with  exceeding  joy,  to  the  only  wise  God  our 
Saviour,  be  glory  and  majesty,  dominion  and  power,  both 
now  and  ever.  Amen. 

[While  standing,  let  the  Church  sing,  "Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds."] 


1 68  THE    FALLING  SPRING 

ROLL  OF  COMMUNICANTS. 


The  list  given  herewith  embraces  only  the  nances  of  those 
persons  more  or  less  actively  identified  with  the  Church  on 
Nov.  12,  1894.  A  number  of  names  appear  on  the  records 
of  Session  which  are  names  of  persons  either  unknown  to 
the  Session  or  who  have  passed  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  Session,  or  who  have  been  retired  from  active  member- 
ship for  reasons  indicated  in  the  extracts  from  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  year  indicates  the  date  of  admission  to  the  Church. 
"P"  and  "C"  indicate  respectively  that  such  persons  were 
admitted  on  protession  or  by  certificate.  "T"  indicates 
that  the  person  whose  name  it  follows  was  a  teacher  either 
in  the  home  school  or  in  the  Wolfstown  Mission,  on  Nov. 
12,  1894. 

A  supplementary  list  is  added,  repeating,  according  to 
years  of  reception,  the  names  of  those  who  were  on  our  roll 
before  the  time  of  Dr.  Niccolls,  the  senior  ex-Pastor,  and 
who  are  still  on  the  roll. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  Constitution  are  printed 
for  the  information  of  the  Church. 

I.     Who  are  the  Church. 

Form  of  Government,  Chapter  II,  Sections  i,  2,  3,  4 : 
"Jesus  Christ,  who  is  now  exalted  lar  above  all  principality 
and  power,  hath  erected,  in  this  world,  a  kingdom,  which  is 
His  Church."  (Eph.  1:20-23;  Ps.  2:6.)  "The  Universal 
Church  consists  of  all  those  persons  in  every  nation,  to- 
gether with  their  children,  who  make  profession  of  the  holy 
religion  of  Christ,  and  of  submission '  to  His  laws."  (Rev. 
5:9;  Acts  2:39;  i  Cor.  1:2  compared  with  2  Cor.  9:13.)  "As 
this  immense  multitude  cannot  meet  together  in  one  place, 
to  hold  communion,  or  to  worship  God,  it  is  reasonable,  and 
warranted  by  Scripture  example,  that  they  should  be  divided 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  169 

into  many  particular  churches."  (Gal.  1:21,  22;  Rev.  1:4, 
20;  Rev.  2:1,  &c.)  "A  particular  church  consists  of  a  num- 
ber of  professing  Christians,  with  their  offspring,  voluntar- 
ily associated  together,  for  divine  worship  and  godly  living, 
agreeably  to  the  Holy  Scriptures ;  and  submitting  to  a  cer- 
tain form  of  government"  (Acts  2:41,  47;  i  Cor.  7:14; 
Acts  2:39;  Mark  10:14,  compared  with  Matthew  19:13,  14,' 
and  Luke  18:15,  16;  Heb.  8:5;  Gal.  6:16;  i  Tim.  5:17; 
Rom.  12:7,  8;  Acts  15:25;  Matt.  18:15-20;  i  Cor.  5:4,  5; 
Heb.  13:17;  i  Thess.  5:12,  13,  and  i  Tim.  5:17;  2  Thess. 
3:6,  14,  15;  i  Cor.  11:27  to  the  end.  (As  to  the ' relations 
of  the  children  of  professing  Christians,  see  under  the  Roll  of 
Baptized  Members.) 

II.  The  Reception  of  Members,  and  other  Duties  of  the 
Session. 

Form  of  Gov.  ix,  6:  "The  Church  Session  is  charged 
with  maintaining  the  spiritual  government  of  the  congre- 
gation ;  for  which  purpose,  they  have  power  to  inquire  into 
the  knowledge  and  Christian  conduct  of  the  members  of 
the. Church ;  to  call  before  them  offenders  and  witnesses,  be- 
ing members  of  their  own  congregation,  and  to  introduce 
other  witnesses,  where  it  may  be  necessary  to  bring  the  pro- 
cess to  issue,  and  when  they  can  be  procured  to  attend ;  to 
receive  members  into  the  Church ;  to  admonish,  to  rebuke, 
to  suspend,  or  exclude  from  the  sacraments,  those  who  are 
found  to  deserve  censure ;  to  concert  the  best  measures  tor 
promoting  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  congregation ;  and 
to  appoint  delegates  to  the  higher  judicatories  of  the  Church." 
(Heb.  13:17 ;  i  Thess.  5:12,  13  and  i  Tim.  5:17  ;  Ezek.  34:4; 
2  Thess.  3:6,  14,  15;  i  Cor.  11:27  to  the  end;  Acts  15:2,  6.) 

Directory  for  Worship,  x,  3,  4:  "Those  who  are  to  be 
admitted  to  sealing  ordinances,  shall  be  examined  as  to  their 
knowledge  and  piety."  "When  unbaptized  persons  apply 
for  admission  into  the  Church,  they  shall,  in  ordinary  cases, 


170  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

after  giving  satisfaction  with  respect  to  their  knowledge  and 
piety,  make  a  public  profession  of  their  faith,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  congregation ;  and  thereupon  be  baptized." 

Digest,  803 :  "  Universalists  are  not  to  be  admitted  to 
sealing  ordinances." 

Digest,  805  :  "  It  is  the  province  of  the  Session  to  judge  of 
the  qualifications  of  candidates  for  membership  in  the 
Church." 

Digest,  807 :  "  In  no  ordinary  circumstances  can  a  person 
give -good  evidence  of  a  readiness  to  obey  Christ  in  all  things, 
who,  having  the  opportunity,  does  not  connect  himself  with 
some  particular  branch  of  the  visible  body  of  Christ." 

III.     Jurisdiction  over  Members. 

Book  of  Discipline,  iv,  18 :  "original  jurisdiction,  in  rela- 
tion to  members,  pertains  to  the  Session." 

Bk.  of  Disc:,  xi,  108:  "The  judicatory,  to  which  a 
Church  member  belongs,  shall  have  sole  jurisdiction  for  the 
trial  of  offences  whenever  or  wherever  committed  by  him." 

109:  "A  member  of  a  Church,  receiving  a  certificate  of 
dismission  to  another  Church,  shall  continue  to  be  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  giving  him  the  certificate,  and  subject  to 
the  jurisdiction  of  its  Session  (but  shall  not  deliberate  or 
vote  in  a  Church  meeting,  nor  exercise  the  functions  of  any 
office),  until  he  has  become  a  member  of  the  Church  to 
which  he  is  recommended,  or  some  other  evangelical  Church  ; 
and,  should  he  return  the  certificate,  within  a  year  from  its 
date,  the  Session  shall  make  record  of  the  fact,  but  he  shall 
not  thereby  be  restored  to  the  exercise  of  the  functions  of 
any  office  previously  held  by  him  in  that  Church." 

xii,  114:  "When  any  member  shall  remove  from  one 
Church  to  another,  he  shall  produce  a  certificate,  ordinarily 
not  more  than  one  year  old,  ol  his  church-membership  and 
dismission,  before  he  shall  be  admitted  as  a  regular  member 
of  that  Church. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  I/ 1 

"The  names  of  the  baptized  children  of  a  parent  seeking 
dismission  to  another  Church  shall,  if  such  children  are 
members  of  his  household  and  remove  with  him  and  are 
not  themselves  communicants,  be  included  in  the  certificate 
of  dismission.  The  certificate  shall  be  addressed  .to  a  par- 
ticular Church,  and  the  fact  of  the  reception  of  the  person 
or  persons  named  in  it  shall  be  promptly  communicated  to 
the  Church  which  gave  it." 

1 1 6 :  "  If  a  Church  member,  more  than  two  years  absent 
from  the  place  of  his  ordinary  residence  and  Church  connec- 
tions, applies  for  a  certificate  of  membership,  his  absence, 
and  the  knowledge  of  the  Church  respecting  his  demeanor 
for  that  time,  shall  be  distinctly  stated  in  the  certificate." 

vii,  48:  "If  a  communicant,  not  chargeable  with  im- 
moral conduct,  inform  the  Session  that  he  is  fully  persuaded 
that  he  has  no  right  to  come  to  the  Lord's  Table,  the  Ses- 
sion shall  confer  with  him  on  the  subject,  and  may,  should 
he  continue  of  the  same  mind,  and  his  attendance  on  the 
other  means  of  grace  be  regular,  excuse  him  from  attend- 
ance on  the  Lord's  Supper ;  and,  after  fully  satisfying  them- 
selves that  his  judgment  is  not  the  result  of  mistaken  views, 
shall  erase  his  name  from  the  roll '  of  communicants,  and 
make  record  of  their  action  in  the  case." 

49:  "If  a  communicant,  not  chargeable  with  immoral 
conduct,  removes  out  of  the  bounds  of  his  Church,  without 
asking  for  or  receiving  a  regular  certificate  of  dismission  to 
another  Church,  and  his  residence  is  known,  the  Session 
may,  within  two  years,  advise  him  to  apply  for  such  certi- 
ficate; and,  if  he  fails  so  to  do,  without  giving  sufficient 
reason,  his  name  may  be  placed  on  the  roll  of  suspended 
members,  until  he  shall  satisfy  the  Session  of  the  propriety 
of  his  restoration.  But,  if  the  Session  has  no  knowledge 
of  him  for  the  space  of  three  years,  it  may  erase  his  name 
from  the  roll  of  communicants,,  making  record  of  its  action 


THE    FALLING   SPRING 

and  the  reasons  thereof.  In' either  case,  the  member  shall 
continue  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Session.  A  sepa- 
rate roll  of  all  such  names  shall  be  kept,  stating  the  relations 
of  each  to  the  Church." 

50:  "If  any  communicant,  not  chargeable  with  immoral 
conduct,  neglects  the  ordinances  of  the  Church  for  one  year, 
and  in  circumstances  such  as  the  Session  shall  regard  to  be 
a  serious  injury  to  the  cause  of  religion,  he  may,  after  affec- 
tionate visitation  by  the  Session,  and  admonition  it  need 
be,  be  suspended  from  the  communion  of  the  Church  until 
he  gives  satisfactory  evidence  of  the  sincerity  of  his  repent- 
ance, but  he  shall  not  be  excommunicated  without  due  pro- 
cess of  discipline." 

52:  "If  a  communicant  renounces  the  communion  of 
this  Church  by  joining  another  denomination,  without  a  reg- 
ular dismission,  although  such  conduct  is  disorderly,  the  Ses- 
sion shall  take  no  other  action  in  the  case  than  to  record  the 
fact,  and  order  his  name  to-be  erased  from  the  roll.  If  charges 
are  pending  against  him,,  these  charges  may  be  prosecuted." 

[NOTE— Owing  to  the  fact  that  difficulties  of  various  kinds  have  confronted 
the  Session  in  conpiling  this  list,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  errors  may  be  found  in 
it,  notwithstanding  the  great  care  taken.  The  Session  will  be  grateful  for  any 
corrections.] 

Alexander,  Mrs.  Margaret  H.,     Bard,  Miss  Louisa  J.,  (1861,) 

(1883,)  C.  P.,  T. 

Alexander,  Milton  R.,  (1883,)     Bard,      Miss     M.     Blanche, 

C.  (1893,)  P. 

Andrews,     Miss     Mary     E.,  Bard,  Miss  Mary  P.,  (1859,) 

(1893,)  P.  P. 

Andrews,  Mrs.  Sarah,  (1860,)  Beatty,    Mrs.    Margaret    T., 

C.  ^(1848,)  P. 

Aughinbaugh,    Miss    Carrie,  Bickley,    Mrs.    Catharine, 

(1893,)  P.  (1890,)  C. 

Aughinbaugh,  Miss  Mary  C,  Bitner,  Miss  Carrie  N.,  (1894,) 

(1884,)  C.  P. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  173 

Bitner,  Mathias,  (1894,)  P.  Chambers,  George,  Jr.,  (1889,) 
Blair,  Andrew,  (1882,)  C.  P. 

Blair,  A.  Sloane,  (1893,)  P.  Chambers,    Miss    Eleanor, 
Blair,  Mrs.  Mary  S.,  (1882,)         (1887,)  P. 

C.  Chambers,  Mrs.  Ellen,  (1854,) 
Bowman,     Mrs.    Annie    R.,«         P. 

(1875,)  C.  Chambers,  Mrs.  Emeline  K., 
Bowman,   Benjamin,  (1876,)         (1846,)  P. 

P.  Chambers,    Miss    Laura    B., 
Bowman,  Miss  Elizabeth  C.,         (1876,)  P. 

(1893,)  P.  Chambers,     Miss    Margaret, 
Bowman,    Miss   Harriet  R.,         (1866,)  P. 

(1893,)  P.  Chambers,    Miss    Mary     E., 
Boyd,  Mrs.  Catharine,  (1879,)         (1866,)  P. 

C.  Clark,  Mrs. 'Anna  M.,  (1853,) 
Boyd,  Miss  Grace  G.,  (1893,)         C. 

P.  Clark,  David  C,  (1869,)  C.  - 

Boyd,  Miss  Helen  R.,  (1893,)  Clark,  Miss  Eva  S.,  (1893,)  P. 

P.  Clark,  James  C.K(i894,)  P. 

Brendle,  Miss  ElvaE.,  (1892,)  Clark,     Mrs.     Margaret    E., 

P.  (1869,)  C. 

Brewer,    Mrs.    Isabella    W.,  Clark,    Miss    Roberta   S., 

(1877,)  C.  (1889,)  P. 

Byers,    Miss    Anna,    (1861,)  Clarke,  John  C.,  (1890,)  C. 

P.  Clarke,  Mrs.  Kate  M.,  (1890,) 
Caufman,  Mrs.  Jeanette  M.,         C. 

(1866,)  C.  Clarke,    Miss    Katharine   B., 
Chambers,    Mrs.    Abigail         (1893,)  P. 

McE.,  (1850,)  P.  Clarke,  Miss  Mary  £.,(1890,) 
Chambers,  Benjamin,  (1876,)         C. 

P.*  Clarke,  Miss  Susan,  (1892,)  P. 

Chambers,    George,    (1883,)  Clendenin,  Milton  A.,  (1880,) 

C.  C. 

*Died  Apr.  4,  189i. 


174  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

Clippinger,  Mrs.  M.  L.,(i894,)  Daniels,     Mrs.     Agnes     C., 

C.  (1870,)  P. 

Cooper,  Miss  Clare-'T.,  (1892,)  Douglas,  Miss  Louisa,  (1852,) 

P.  C. 

Coyle,    Mrs.   Blanche    B.,  Downey,  Mrs.  Agnes,  (1893,) 

(1869,)  C.  •     C. 

Coyle,  Robert  E.,  (1876,)  P.  Duncan,   Frank  M.,   (1893,) 

Craig,  Miss  Carrie,  (1882,)  C.  P.,  Lib. 

Craig,  Miss  Mary,  (1882,)  C.,  Duncan,     Mrs.     Mary    M., 

T.  (1861,)  P. 

Craig,  Thomas  C,  (1878,)  P.  Edgar,  Mrs.  Elizabeth, (1884,) 

Crandall,     Miss    Elsie    C,  C. 

(1890,)  P.  Edgar,  John  B.,  (1894,)  P. 

Crawford,     Miss     Ellen    A.,  Edmondson,  Mrs.  Bertha  B., 

(1879,)  P.  (1885,)  C. 

Crawford,    Mrs.    Susan    M.,  Elder,    Mrs.    Margaretta, 

(1867,)  C.  (1889,)  P. 

Criswell,  Andrew  M.,  (1845,)  Elder,  Mrs.  Mary  E.,  (1873,) 

P.              ,  P. 

Criswell,  Miss  Henrietta  A.,  Elliott,  Mrs.  Mary  H.,  (1886,) 

(1889,)  P.  .      C. 

Criswell,    Miss    Nancy    R.,  Elliott,  Samuel  B.,  (1884,)  P. 

(1887,)  P.  Eyster,  Mrs.  Margaret,  (1889,) 

Criswell,  Robert  T.,  (1887,)  P.  P. 

Culbertson,    Mrs.    Ellen    K.,  Fields,  Mrs.  Eliza  S.,  (18^0,) 

(1843,)  P.  P. 

Culbertson, Mrs. Julia, (1870,)  Fields,     Miss    Elmira    M., 

C.  (1890,)  P. 

Curriden,  George  A.,  (1893,)  Finney,   Miss  Eleanor  May, 

P.  (1890,)  P. 

Curriden,  Mrs.  Kate,  (1871,)  Finney,    Miss    Florence    G., 

C.  (1890,)  P. 

Curriden,    Miss    Margaret  Gardiner,     Mrs.     Alice     S., 

Grace,  (1890,)  P.,  T.  (1866,)  P.,  T. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  175 

Gehr,  Mrs.  Isabel  R.,  (1893,)  Grier,  Miss  Mary  P.,  (1857,) 

C.  P. 

George,  Mrs.  Lucy  C,  (1858,)  Hall,  Mrs.  Jennie  C.,  (1877,) 

P.  P. 

George,     Miss      Sallie     M.,  Hambright,  Mrs.  Frances  B., 

(1893,)  P.  (1886,)  C. 

Gillespie,  Mrs.  Annie,  (1890,)  Hambright,     George     W., 

P.  (1886,)  C. 

Gillespie,  Harry  S.,  (1890,)  P.  Hambright,  Miss  Letitia  J., 

Gilmore,    Mrs.     Harriet    B.,  (1881,)  P. 

(1861,)  P,  Hambright,    Miss  Sarah   J., 

Gilmore,    Miss     Lizzie     G.,  (I893,)  P. 

(1861,)  P.  Hayman,    Miss    Kate    W., 

Gilmore,  Walter  B.,  (1892,)  (1858,)  P. 

P.  Helfrick,    Mrs.    Maria    E., 

Gordon,  Cyrus  H.,  (1892,)  P.  (1872,)  P. 

Gordon,  Mrs.  Mary  L.,  (1866,)  Helfrick,  Peter,  (1872,)  P. 

P.*  Hibben,   Mrs.   Jenney  D., 

Greenewalt,  Harry  C.,  (1876,)  (1888,)  C. 

P.  Hoke,  Clarence  J.,  (1893,)  P. 

Greenewalt,    Miss   Jane    R.,  Hoke,    Miss    Harriet    Ethel, 

(1890,)  P.  (1893,)  P. 

Greenewalt,  John  C.,  (1890,)  Hoke,  Harry  E.,  (i89O,)C.,T. 

P.  Hoke,  Mrs.  Mary  B.,  (i89O,)C. 

Greenewalt,    Miss    Margaret  Hoke,  Mrs.  Sarah  R.,  (1881,) 

B.,  (1893,)  P.  P. 

Greenewalt,    Mrs.    Martha,  Holmes,  Wesley  B.,  (1892,) P. 

(1872,)  P.  Hoofman,     Mrs.     Elizabeth, 

Greenewalt,   Mrs.    Mary   D.,  (1870,)  P. 

(1890,)  C.  Hoopes,    Mrs.    Nellie    Mel. 

Greenewalt,  Miss  Nancy  C.,  (1891,)  C. 

(1890,)  P.  Housum,    Mrs.     Lucy    S., 

Grier,  John  L.,  (1854,)  P-  (1855,)  C. 

*Died,  Nov.  26,  1894 


176  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

Huber,    Mrs.     Elizabeth,  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Margaret  C., 

(1852,)  C.  (1892,)  C. 

Ives,    Miss    Charlotte    B.,  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Mary,  (1890,) 

(1892,)  P.  C. 

Ives,  Miss  Ellen  C.,  (1889,)  Kennedy,  Thomas  B.,  (1854,) 

P.  P. 

Ives,  Mrs.  Emma  C,  (1866,)  Kindline,  Leonard  B.,  (1866,) 

P.  P. 

Jacoby,     Miss     Ella      Belle,  King,  Miss  Annetta,  (1883,) 

(1890,)  P.  P. 

Jacoby,  Mrs.  Susanna,  (1893,)  King,  Edward  C.,  (1881,)  P. 

C.  King,  Miss  Elizabeth  McC., 

Johnson,     Mrs.     Annie     C.,  (1876,)  P. 

(1891,)  P.  King,    Miss    Margaretta   S., 

Jones,  George,  (1893,)  P.  (1871,)  C. 

Jones,  Miss  Grace  H.,  (1891,)  King,  Mrs.  Mary,  (1848,)  P. 

P.  King,  Miss  Mary  S.,  (1886,) 

Jones,  Mrs.  Mary  D.,  (1893,)  P. 

P.  King,  Miss  M.  Scott,  (1883,) 

Jones,  Thomas  B.,  (1894,)  P.  P.,  T. 

Karper,  Mrs.  Clara  G.,  (1876,)  King,    Miss     R.     Christina, 

P.  (1874,)  P. 

Kennedy,    Mrs.    Ariana    R.,  Langdon,    Miss     A.    Jessie, 

(1852,)  P.  (1888,)  P. 

Kennedy,     Miss     Ariana,  Langdon,  Averett  L.,  (1884,) 

(1886,)  P.  P. 

Kennedy,     Mrs.     Cora     H.,  Langdon,     Mrs.     Georgiana, 

(1890,)  C.  (1883,)  P. 

Kennedy,    Miss    Helen    L.,  Lesher,  Benjamin  B.,  (1893,) 

(1893,)  P.,  T.  P. 

Kennedy,   James  S.,  (1890,)  Lesher,  Mrs.  TillieN.,  (1882,) 

P.  C. 

Kennedy,    Mrs.    Louisa  W.,  Leslie,    Miss    Edith,   (1880,) 

(1859,)  C.,  T.  P. 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  177 

Leslie,  Miss  Ellen,  (1872,)  P.  McDowell,  Miss  Minnie  A., 

Leslie,    Miss     Florence    C,  (1866,)  P. 

(1876,)  P.  McDowell,    Wilken   Brewer, 

Leslie,    Mrs.    Matilda    K.,  (1880,)  P. 

(1868,)  C.  McDowell,     William     H., 

Lindsay,    Mrs.   Catharine,  (1856,)  C. 

(1849,)  C.  McFadden,    Thomas'  S.    R., 

Linn,  Mrs.  Jane,  (1863,)  C.  Jr.,  (1894,)  P. 

Linn,  Samuel  C.,  (1863,)  C.  McGowan,    Mrs.     Alice    C., 

Little,    Miss    Nancy    J.    P.,  (1866,)  P.* 

(1886,)  C.  McGowan,    Miss   Annie    T., 

Ludwig,    Mrs.     Emma     B.,  (I893,)  P. 

(1891^  P.  McGowan,    Miss    Bessie    S., 

Lusk,  William,  (1893,)  C.,  T.  (1893,)  P. 

MacAllen,  WilliamS.,  (1892,)  Mcllvaine,  John  S.,  (1875,) 

C.  C,  T. 

Maclay,  David,  (1879,)  p-  Mcllvaine,  John  S.,  Jr.,  (1887,) 

Maclay,    Miss    Lydia    E.,  P. 

(1868,)  P.  Mcllvaine,  Mrs.  Mary,  (1875,) 

Maclay,  Mrs.  Mary  P.,  (1879,)  C. 

C.  McKibben,     Miss      Mary, 

McDowell,   Miss   Annie   C.,  (1871,)  C. 

(1876,)  P.  McKnight,    Miss    Alice    S., 

McDowell,    Mrs.    Clara    C,  (1886,)  P. 

(1880,)  C.  McKnight,    Miss    Elizabeth 

McDowell,    Mrs.    Eliza    G.,  A.,  (1892,)  P. 

(1866,)  P.  McLanahan,  Miss  Grace  G., 

McDowell,  John  M.,  (1875,)  (1876,)  P. 

P.,  T.,  Supt.  McLellan,  Mrs.  Ellen,  (1850,) 

McDowell,   Miss   Lizzie   M.,  C. 

(1866,)  C.  Martin,  Charles  C,  (1892,)  P. 

McDowell,    Mrs.    Martha,  Martin,  Mrs.  Emma,  (1892,) 

(1863,)  C. R 

*Died,  Dec.  9,  1894. 


178  THE  FALLING  SPRING 

Mehaffey,    Mrs.    Ellie    C.,  Ramsay,  Robert  W.  (1893,) 

(1877,)  P.  P. 

Mehaftey,  Mrs.  Mary,  (1873,)  Reed,    Mrs.     Elizabeth     S., 

C.  (1891,)  C. 

Mellinger,  Mrs.  Margaret  E.,  Reed,  Mrs.  Eliza  H.,  (1871,) 

(1884,)  P.  C. 

Myers,  Miss  Cora,  (1890,)  P.  Reed,  Frederick  B.,  (1891,)?. 

Nelson,  A.  Howard,  (1889,)  P.  Reed,  John  H.,  (1871,)  C. 

Nelson,    Mrs.    Annie    H.,  Reed,  J.  Ross,  (1889,)  P. 

(1873,)  C,  T.  Reed,    Mrs.    Rebecca    L., 

Nelson,  Miss  Margaret  McD.,  (I843,)  P. 

(1889,)  P.,  T.  Reed,  Mrs.  Sadie  E.,  (1881,) 

N,elson,  Miss  Sallie  J.,  (1892,)  P.                             , 

P.  Reed,  William  B.,  (1866,)  P., 

Nelson,  Thomas  M.,  (1873,)  T. 

C.  Reed,  William  G.,  (1843,)  P. 

Nelson,  Tom  McD.,  (1893,)  P.  Ritchey,  Mrs.  Ella  R.,  (1885,) 

Orr,  John  G.,  (1883,)  C.  C. 

Orr,  Mrs.  Martha  H.,  (1883,)  Riddle,  David  H.,  (1893,)  P., 

C.  T. 

Platt,  Clarence  N.,  (1887,)  P.  Riddle,    Miss    Elizabeth    B., 

Platt,  George  F.,  (1861,)  C,  (1891,)  P.,  T. 

Supt  Riddle,  Henry  A.,  (1882,)  C., 

Platt,  Mrs.  Mary  N.,  (i864,)C.  T. 

Platt,  Miss  Mary  N.,  (1890,)  Riddle,    Mrs.     Martha    H., 

P.,  T.  (1882^)  C. 

Pomeroy,  A.  Nevin,  (1874,)  Rosenberry,  Miss  Elmira  M. , 

C,  T.  (1887,)  P. 

Pomeroy    Mrs.    Belle    McL.,  Ross,  Mrs.  Annie  V.,  (1876,) 

(1880,)  P.  C. 

Pond,  Miss  Jennie  C.,  (1890,)  Rote,  Miss  Josephine,  (1861,) 

C.  P. 

Ramsay,    Mrs.     Carrie     M.,  Rowe,  Mrs.  Annie  E.,  (1888,) 

(1892,)  C.  C. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  179 

Ryerson,    Miss    Mabel    M.,  Smith,    Miss    Emma     L., 

(1892,)  C.  (1861,)  P.,  T. 

Schenck,    Mrs.    Mary    A.,  Smith,   Mrs.   M.  M.,  (1868,) 

(1892,)  C.,  T.  C. 

Senseny,  Mrs.  Jane,  (1838,)  P.  Snider,    Miss    Emma    M., 

Senseny,  Miss  Jean  L.,(  1886,)  (1876,)  P. 

P.  Snider,  Miss  Mary  M.,  (1863,) 

Senseny,      Mrs.     Rose     M.,  P. 

(1866,)  P.  Spessard,  Harvey  W.,  (1892,) 

Sharpe,     Mrs.     Emma     L,.,  P.,  T. 

(1889,)  P.*  Spessard,    Mrs.     Sue    W., 

Sharpe,  Joshua  W.,   (1889,)  (1892,)  C,  T. 

C.,  T.  Stevens,  Miss  Elizabeth  G., 

Sharpe,  Mrs.  Sara  F.,  (1889,)  (1891,)  P. 

C,  T.  Stewart,     Miss     Anna     W., 

Sheller,  Daniel  M.,  (1893,)  P.  (1881,)  P.,  T. 

Sheller,  Mrs.  Jennie,  (1893,)  Stewart,  Miss  Elizabeth  K., 

C.  (1888,)  P. 

Shively,    Mrs.     McElroy,  Stewart,  Mrs.  Jane  L.,  (1863,) 

(1840,)  P.  P. 

Shumaker,    Mrs.    Ellen    S.,  Stewart,    Miss    Janet    H., 

(1887,)  P.  (1893,)  P. 

Shumaker,     Frederick     H.,  Stewart,  John,  (1876,)  P. 

(1893,)  P.  Stewart,    Miss     Mary    L., 

Shumaker,    Mrs.     Henrietta  (1887,)  P. 

M.,  (1893,)  C.  Stryke,    Miss    Sarah    A., 

Shumaker,  Miss  Elizabeth  C. ,  ( 1 893 ,)  C. 

(1893,)  C.  Sudler,     Miss     Martha    V., 

Shuman,    Mrs.     Estella    H.,  (1892,)  P. 

(1888,)  P.  Thompson,   Miss  Susan  A., 

Smarsch,  Charles  F.,  (1887,)?.  (1892,)  P. 

Smarsch,    Mrs.    Jennie    H.,  Wallace,    Elijah,    (1893,) 

(1886,)  P. P. 

*Died.  May  13, 1895. 


ISO  THE   FALLING  SPRING 

Wallace,    Mrs.    Emma    M.,  Wiestling,  John  G.,(  1893,)  R 

(1889,)  C.  Williams,  Robert  S.,  (1892,) 

Wallace,  Mrs.  Mary,  (1852,)  P. 

C.  Wingert,  Jacob  R,  (1894,)  P. 

Wallace,  Miss  M.  Elizabeth,  Witherspoon,    Andrew     H., 

(1866,)  C.  (1887,)  C. 

Wallace,  Thomas  H.,  (1889,)  W'itherspoon,    D.    Carothers, 

C,  Lib.  (1877,)  P. 

Wallace,     Thomas     Me  I.,  Witherspoon,    Miss    Emma, 

(1873,)  C.  (1887,)  C. 

Washington,    Mrs.     M.     C,  Witherspoon,  John  £.,(1887,) 

(1861,)  P.,  T.  C. 

Watson,  James  C.,  (1892,)  P.  Witherspoon,      John      W., 

Watson,  Miss  Marian,  (1848,)  (1874,)  C. 

P.  Witherspoon,   John  W.,  Jr., 

Watson,  Miss  Martha,  (1852,)  (1893,)  P. 

P.  Witherspoon,  Mrs.  Mary  E., 

Werdebaugh,  Miss  Margaret  (1875,)  C. 

S.,  (1891,)  P.  Witherspoon,  Mrs.   Mary  H. 

White,    Mrs.    Elizabeth    B.,  C,  (1888,)  C. 

(1861,)  P.  Witherspoon,  Mrs.    Rebecca 

White,  J.  Burns,  (1871,)  P.  M.,  (1869,)  C.,  T. 
White,  Miss  Jane  LM  (1893,)  Witherspoon,  Mrs.  Sarah  J., 

P.  (1872,)  C. 

Whiteman,  Mrs.    Annie   C,  Wolverton,  Simon  P.,  (1892,) 

(1892,)  C.  P. 

Wiestling,  Edward  B.,(  189 2,)  Work,  Miss  Mary  E,  (1850,) 

C.  P. 

Wiestling,   Mrs.  Jennie  W.,  Wright,  Mrs.  Matilda,  (1893,) 

(1876,)  P.  C. 

The  following  persons  have  been  received  between  Nov. 
12,  1894,  and  June  13,  1895. 

William  Cyrus  Hambright,  P.,  Dec.  9,  1894. 


PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  l8l 

William  Augustus  Culbertson,  P.,  Dec.  9,  1894. 

*George  Cline  Rapp,  P.,  Feb.  14,  1895. 

George  D.  Mcllvaine,  C.,  Mch.  2,  1895. 

Mrs.  Sarah  S.  Mcllvaine,  C,  Mch.  2,  1895. 

John  Keasey  Britton,  P.,  June  2,  1895. 

Mrs.  Mede  Davis  Britton,  C,  June  2,  1895. 

Bruce  Elder,  R.,  June  2,  1895. 

Henry  Guimond,  P.,  June  3,  1895. 

Mrs.  Kate  Senseny  McKnight,  C,  June  12,  1895. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  LIST. 

(See  Page  168.) 


1838. — Mrs.  Jane  Senseny,  P. — i. 

1840. — Mrs.  McElroy  Shivery,  P. — i. 

1842. — Mrs.  Emma  L.  Sharpe,  P. — i. 

1843.— William  G.  Reed,  P.;  Mrs.  Ellen  K.  Culbertson, 
P.;  Mrs.  Rebecca  L.  Reed,  P. — 3. 

1845. — Andrew  M.  Criswell,  P. — i. 

1846. — Mrs.  Emeline  K.  Chambers,  P. — i. 

1848. — Mss.  Margaret  T.  Beatty,  P.;  Miss  Mary  King, 
P.;  Miss  Marian  Watson,  P. — 3. 

1849. — Mrs.  Catharine  Lindsay,  C. — i. 

1850.— Mrs.  Ellen  McLellan,  C.;  Mrs.  Abigail  McE. 
Chambers,  P.;  Miss  Mary  E.  Work,  P.— 3. 

1852. — Miss  Louisa  Douglas,  C.;  Mrs.  Mary  Wallace,  C.; 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Huber,  C;  Mrs.  Ariana  R.  Kennedy,  P.; 
Miss  Martha  Watson,  P. — 5. 

1853.— Mrs.  Anna  M-  Clark,  C— i. 

1854. — John  L.  Grier,  P.;  Mrs.  Ellen  Chambers,  P.; 
Thomas  B.  Kennedy,  P. — 3. 

1855. — Mrs.  Lucy  S.  Housum,  C. — i. 

•Died,  Mch.  10,  1895. 


182 


THE   FALLING  SPRING 


1856.— William  H.  McDowell,  C.— i. 

1857. — Miss  Mary  F.  Grier,  P. — i. 

1858. — Miss  Kate  W.  Hayman,  P.;  Mrs.  Lucy  C.  George, 

P.-2. 

1859. — Mrs.  Louisa  W.  Kennedy,  C.;  Miss  Mary  P.  Bard, 
P.— 2. 

1860. — Mrs.  Sarah  Andrews,  C. — i. 


MEMBERSHIP  APRIL  i  OF  EACH  YEAR, 

As  stated  in  the  Church  Register,  or  as  reported  in  the  Min- 
utes of  the  General  Assembly,  beginning  with 

1822, 

the-  first 

year  reported. 

Prof. 

Cert. 

Total. 

Prof. 

Cert. 

Total. 

1822, 





1  06 

1840, 

8 

3 



1823, 

4 

I 

1841, 

18 

3 

1824, 

3 

I 

— 

1842, 

3 

6 

1825, 

ii 

4 

no 

1843, 

6 

4 



1826, 

8 

3 

112 

1844, 

37 

•    9 

130 

1827, 

7 

6 

114 

1845, 

H 

2 

132 

1828, 

i 

4 

114 

1846, 

5 

9 

144 

1829, 

5 

3 

114 

1847, 

3 

6 

144 

1830, 

i 

3 

114 

1848, 

T3 

5 

148 

1831, 

6 

7 

114 

1849, 

5 

3 

170 

1832, 

5 

9 

1  20 

1850, 

5 

7 

170 

1833, 

ii 

3 

1  20 

1851, 

H 

6 

170 

1834, 

17 

2 

I2O 

1852, 

3 

ii 

J93 

1835, 

— 

I 

—  . 

1853, 

10 

13 

1  88 

1836, 

3 

2 

1  20 

1854, 

!9 

5 

200 

i837, 

5 

2 

1  20 

1855, 

3 

7 

202 

1838, 

2 

— 

1  20 

1856, 

5 

7 

2IO 

1839, 

4 

3 

120 

1857, 

— 

9 

211 

PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  183 


Prof. 

Cert 

Total. 

Prof. 

Cert. 

Total. 

i858, 

4 

II 

217 

l877, 

7 

5 

306 

1859, 

18 

3 

217 

1878, 

3 

3 

.  272 

1860, 

6 

8 

216 

1879, 

5 

4 

277 

1861, 

40 

13 

259 

1880, 

6 

8 

273 

1862, 

IO 

10 

276 

1881, 

2 

3 

276 

1863, 

9 

4 

284 

1882, 

5 

3 

268 

1864, 

7 

12 

290 

1883, 

4 

13 

270 

1865, 

3 

6 

267 

1884, 

6 

ii 

267 

1866, 

9 

4 

254 

1885, 

15 

6 

240 

1867, 

36 

19 

295 

1886, 

2 

4 

242 

1868, 

3 

J3 

260 

1887, 

13 

5 

232 

1869, 

4 

16 

244 

1888, 

29 

8 

250 

1870, 

5 

8 

250 

1889, 

6 

4 

246 

1871, 

IO 

7 

261 

1890, 

J3 

8 

257 

1872, 

I3 

12 

280 

189*1 

26 

18 

283 

l873, 

1 

2 

285 

1892, 

ii 

3 

274 

1874, 

i 

12 

235 

1893, 

18 

J3 

284 

i875, 

7 

9 

243 

1894, 

39 

7 

3*3 

1876, 

59 

2 

302 

Membership,  April  i,  1822, 106 

Received  by  profession,  April  i,  1822  to  April  i,  1894,  725 
"        "  letter, - 466 


1,297 


THE  BAPTIZED  MEMBERS  OF  THE  CHURCH, 
and  their  Relations  to  'the  Church. 

The  Confession  of  Faith,  Chapter  xxv,  Section  2 :     "  The 

visible  Church consists  of  all  those  throughout 

the  world,  that  profess  the  true  religion,  together  with  their 
children."  (i  Cor.  1:2;  12:12-13;  Gen.  17:7-10;  i  Cor.  7:14; 


184  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

Acts  2:38-39;  Rom.  11:16;  Gal.  3:7,  9,  14;  Rom.  4:1-25.) 

The  Confession  of  Faith,  xxviii,  4 :  "The  infants  of  one 
or  both  believing  parents  are  to  be  baptized."  (Gen.  17,  7- 
10  with  Gal.  3:9-14;  Rom.  4:11,  12;  Acts  2:38-39;  Acts  16: 
14,  15,  33;  i  Cor.  7:14;  Mark  10:13-16.) 

Larger  Catechism,  Question  166:  "Infants  descending  from 
parents,  either  both  or  but  one  ot  them,  professing  faith  in 
Christ,  and  obedience  to  Him,  are,  in  that  respect,  within 
the  covenant,  and  are  to  be  baptized."  (See  references 
above.  Baptism  in  the  New  Testament  Church  takes  the 
place  of  circumcision  in  the  Old  Testament  Church,  and  as 
in  the  latter  infants  were  circumcised,  so  in  the  former  in- 
fants are  baptized.) 
I.  The  Relation  of  Baptized  Children  to  the  Church. 

Book  of  Discipline,  Chapter  I,  Section  5:  "All  Children 
born  within  the  pale  of  the  visible  Church  are  members  of 
the  Church,  are  to  be  baptized,  are  under  the  care  of  the 
Church,  and  subject  to  its  government  and  discipline;  and 
when  they  have  arrived  at  years  of  discretion,  they  are 
bound  to  perform  all  the  duties  of  Church  members." 

Dirtctory  for  Worship,  Ch.  X,  Sec.  2:  "The  years  of  dis- 
cretion, in  young  Christians,  cannot  be  precisely  fixed.  This 
must  be  left  to  the  prudence  ol  the  eldership.  The  officers 
of  the  Church  are  the  judges  of  the  qualifications  of  those  to 
be  admitted  to  sealing  ordinances;  and  of  the  time  when  it 
is  proper  to  admit  young  Christians  to  them." 

Book  of  Discipline,  XII,  114:  "The  names  of  the  bap- 
tized children  of  a  parent  seeking  dismission  to  another 
Church,  shall,  it  such  children  are  members  of  his  house- 
hold and  remove  with  him  and  are  not  themselves  commu- 
nicants, be  included  in  tha  certificate  of  dismission." 

II.  The  Duty  of  the  Christian  Parent  to  the  Baptized  Child. 

Dir.  for  Worship,  VIII,  i,  2,  5,  4:  "Baptism  is  not  to  be 
unnecessarily  delayed;  nor  to  be  administered,  in  any  case, 


•  PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH.  185 

by  a  private  person;  but  by  a  minister  of  Christ,  called  to 
be  the  steward  of  the  mysteries  of  God.  It  is  usually  to  be 
administered  in  the  church,  in  the  presence  of  the  congre- 
gation. Although  it  is  proper  that  baptism  be  administered 
in  the  presence  of  the  congregation:  yet  there  may  be  cases 
when  it  will  be  expedient  to  administer  this  ordinance  in 
private  houses;  of  which  the  minister  is  to  be  the  judge. 
It  is  required  of  the  parents,  that  they  teach  the  child  to 
read  the  Word  of  God;  that  they  instruct  it  in  the  princi- 
ples of  our  holy  religion,  as  contained  in  the  Scriptures  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament;  an  excellent  summary  of 
which  we  have  in  the  Confession  of  Faith  of  this  Church, 
and  in  the  Larger  and  Shorter  Catechisms  of  the  Westmins- 
ter Assembly,  which  are  to  be  recommended  to  them,  as 
adopted  by  this  Church,  for  their  direction  and  assistance, 
in  the  discharge  of  this  important  duty;  that  they  pray  with 
and  for  it;  that  they  set  an  example  of  piety  and  godliness 
before  it,  and  endeavor,  by  all  the  means  of  God's  appoint- 
ment, to  bring  up  their  child  in  the  nurture  and  admonition 
of  the  Lord." 

Digest  802,  3:  Parents  should  "cause  their  children  to  be 
brought  up  in  the  faith  of  their  fathers.  We  do  not  mean 
by  this  that  our  youth  should  be  prevented  from  following 
out  their  honest  convictions  of  duty;  but  that  they  should 
be  dissuaded  from  uniting  with  other  denominations  from 
mere  caprice  or  childish  fancies.  We  consider  the  conduct 
of  those  parents  who  suffer  their  children  to  abandon  our 
own  Church  without  any  adequate  reason,  as  in  a  high  de- 
gree reprehensible,  and  calculated  to  inflict  a  serious  injury 
both  on  the  Church  and  on  their  divided  households." 

6:  The  placing  of  children  in  Romish  schools  by  Protest- 
ant parents,  is  "deemed  highly  injudicious,  fraught  with 
great  danger  to  their  children,  and  utterly  inconsistent  with 
every  principle  of  Protestantism such  conduct  in 


1 86  THE   FAILING   SPRING  t 

Church  members,  whose  children  have  been  dedicated  to 
God  in  baptism,  is  a  violation  of  their  vows  made  in  that 
ordinance,  and  a  great  hindrance  to  the  training  up  of  their 
.children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord." 

4:  "The  institution  of  Sabbath  Schools  does 'not  exon- 
erate ministers  and  parents  from  the  duty  of  teaching  the 
Shorter  Catechism  to  the  children  of  the  Church." 

5:  "Christian  training  at  all  periods  ol  youth,  and  by 
all  practicable  methods,  especially  by  parents  at  home,  by 
teachers  in  institutions  of  learning,  and  by  pastors  through 
catechetical  and  Bible  classes,  is  binding  upon  the  Church, 
according  to  the  injunction,  Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he 
should  go,  and  has  a  vital  connection  with  the  increase  of 
the  numbers  and  efficiency  of  the  ministry  and  ol  the  stabil- 
ity and  purity  of  the  Church." 

Digest,  834,  3:  Parents  and  others  are  most  earnestly 
reminded  "of  the  duty  of  catechising  children  and  youth,  and 
this  duty  is  enjoined  upon  them,  as  one  whose  performance 
no  instruction  that  children  receive  in  the  Sabbath  School 
or  elsewhere,  outside  the  family,  can  supersede  or  supply." 

Digest,  847,  7:  "The  attention  of  the  whole  Church  is 
specially  directed  to  this  momentous  subject  of  the  duty  of 
home  training,  in  the  full  assurance  that  no  part  of  the  work 
ot  the  Church  is  more  fundamental  and  important  than  tliat 
which  is  performed  in  the  quietness  and  sanctity  of  homes 
where  Christian  parents  are  the  divinely  chosen  and  respon- 
sible guardians,  guides,  examples,  and  teachers  of  their 

children,  in  the  way  of  the  Lord; and  the  utmost 

diligence  is  desired  in  this  work;  that  a  generation  of  God's 
people,  renewed  in  heart  in  their  infancy,  may  grow  up  in 
the  practice  of  God's  worship  and  service  from  their  earliest 
years,  so  that  his  Church  may  be  more  intelligent,  zealous, 
holy  and  progressive  than  in  any  former  age." 

Directory  for  Worship,  xvi,  i,  3,  4,  5:  "Besides  the  pub- 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  1 87 

lie  worship  in  congregations,  it  is  the  indispensible  duty  of 
each  person,  alone,  in  secret;  and  of  every  family,  by  itself, 
in  private,  to  pray  to,  and  worship  God.  Family  worship, 
which  ought  to  be  performed  by  every  family,  ordinarily 
morning  and  evening,  consists  in  prayer,  reading  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  singing  praises.  The  head  of  the  family,  who  is 
to  lead  in  this  service,  ought  to  be  careful  that  all  the  mem- 
bers of  his  household  duly  attend;  and  that  none  withdraw 
themselves  unnecessarily  from  any  part  of  family  worship; 
and  that  all  refrain  from  their  common  business,  while  the 
Scriptures  are  read,  and  gravely  attend  to  the  same,  no  less 
than  when  prayer  or  praise  is  offered  up.  Let  the  heads  of 
families  be  careful  to  instruct  their  children  and  servants  in 
the  principles  of  religion.  Every  proper  opportunity  ought 
to  be  embraced  for  such  instruction.  But  we  are  of  opinion, 
that  the  Sabbath  evenings,  after  public  worship,  should  be 
sacredly  preserved  for  this  purpose.  Therefore  we  highly 
disapprove  of  paying  unnecessary  private  visits  on  the  Lord's 
day;  admitting  strangers  into  the  families,  except  when 
necessity  or  charity  requires  it;  or  any  other  practices,  what- 
ever plausible  pretences  may  be  offered  in  their  favor,  if  they 
interfere  with  the  above  important  and  necessary  duty." 

Digest,  832,  i:  "Let  heads  of  families  be  careful  to 
instruct  their  children  and  those  committed  to  their  care  in 
the  great  principles  of  our  holy  religion.  Let  their  morn- 
ing and  evening  sacrifices  be  daily  offered  up  in  their  fami- 
lies to  God." 

"Parents,  train  your  children  in  the  'nurture  and  admon- 
ition of  the  Lord;'  your  houses  should  be  temples  of  the 
living  God,  in  which  should  ascend  to  His  mercy-seat  the 
continual  incense  of  your  daily  sacrifices.  Pious  parents 
can  most  effectually  preach  to  the  hearts  of  their  children 
by  their  affectionate  precepts,  and  their  holy  example.  Your 
instructions  will  best  prepare  -them  to  receive  benefit  from 


1 88  THE    FALLING   SPRING 

the  public  ordinances  of  religion.  And  oh !  can  you  see 
these  dearest  portions  of  yourself  ready  to  perish,  without 
earnestly  reaching  forth  a  hand  to  pluck  them  as  brands 
from  the  burnings?" 

"We  have  observed  with  pain,  that  in  some  Presbyteries 
the  duties  ot  family  religion,  and  of  catechetical  instruction, 
are  neglected.  Truly  it  is  shameful  in  men,  who  call  them- 
selves by  the  name  of  Christ,  not  to  honor  Him  before  their 
families,  by  worshipping  Him  statedly.  Every  head  of  a 
family  is  responsible  for  all  its  .members  to  God  and  his 
country.  How  can  he  expect  to  fulfill  his  duty,  if  he  does 
not  pray  for  and  with  them,  and  instruct  them  in  the  Word  of 
God?  If  he  does  not  honor  God,  it  cannot  be  expected  his 
family  will.  And  a  Christian  family  living  without  family 
religion  is  a  contradiction.  It  argues,  on  the  part  ot  such 
professors,  an  awful  declension  and  a  criminal  dereliction 
of  duty." 

III.  The  Church's  Duty  to  her  Baptized  Children,  and 
theirs  to  the  Church. 

Directory  for  Worship,  X,  i,  2:  "Children,  born  within 
the  pale  of  the  visible  Church,  and  dedicated  to  God  in  bap- 
tism, are  under  the  inspection  and  government  of  the 
Church;  and  are  to  be  taught  to  read  and  repeat  the  Cate- 
chism, the  Apostles'  Creed,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  They 
are  to  be  taught  to  pray,  to  abhor  sin,  to  fear  God,  and  to 
obey  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  And,  when  they  come  to  years 
of  discretion,  if  they  be  free  from  scandal,  appear  sober  and 
steady,  and  to  have  sufficient  knowledge  to  discern  the 
Lord's  body,  they  ought  to  be  informed  it  is  their  duty  and 
their  privilege  to  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper."  (For  Section 
2,  see  page  184,  above.) 

Digest,  801,  h:  "It  is  feared  that  there  is  a  lamentable 
deficiency  in  respect  to  the  care  and  instruction  of  the  bap- 
tized children  of  the  Church.  Let  us,  as  we  value  that  cov- 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  189 

enant  which  makes  the  promise  not  only  ours  but  our  Chil- 
dren's, take  a  more  diligent  oversight  of  these  youthful 
members  of  our  Church.  Too  often  are  they  left  to  wander 
unrestrained  and  forgotten  in  the  paths  of  error  and  of  sin. 
Can  the  Church  answer  to  her  great  Head,  if  this  neglect  of 
duty  be  not  mourned  over  and  corrected?" 

(See  also,  as  to  the   duties   of  churches  and  ministers, 
above,  pages  168-172.) 


THE  ROLL  OF  BAPTIZED  MEMBERS. 

NOV.    12,    1894. 
(Errors  in  this  list  or  omissions,  therefrom  should  be  reported  to  the  Pastor.) 

Alexander,  James  Patterson;  Alexander,  Margaret  Scott. 

Blair,  Mary  Stewart;  Boyd,  Mary  Fulton;  Boyd,  Katie 
Hillis;  Boyd,  Joseph  Fulton;  Brandt,  Nellie  Pauline;  Brewer, 
John  Rowe;  Buchanan,  Maria  Clark. 

Chambers,  Benjamin  Bright;  Clark,  Andrew  Mitchell; 
Craig,  Mary  Watson;  Crawford,  Haslet  Wylie;  Criswell, 
John  Renfrew;  Culbertson,  Samuel  Duncan;  Curriden,  Eva 
Jeannette. 

Daniels,  Irvin  Franklin;  Daniels,  William  Hayes;  Davi- 
son,  John  Andrew;  Duncan,  Calvin  Mark;  Duncan,  Robert 
Spencer;  Duncan,  John  McClurg. 

Edmondson,  Eva  May;  Edmondson,  Helen  Isabel;  Ed- 
mondson, Mary  Blanche;  Elder,  Bruce  Humbird;  Elder, 
Nellie  Grace;  Elder,  Pauline;  Elliott,  Robert  Hiteshew; 
Elliott,  Anna  Margaret.  . 

Fields,  John  Rufus;  Fields,  Charles  Hunter. 

Gehr,  Hastings;  George,  Joseph  Chambers;  Gillespie, 
Franklin  Stewart;  Gilmore,  Jaines  Ross;  Gilmore,  William 


190  THE    FALLING  SPRING 

Blair;  Greenewalt,  Frank  Lindsay;  Greenewalt,  Margaret 
Sharpe. 

Hambright,  Harry  Jackson;  Hambright,  John  Stockton; 
Hambright,  Grover  Cleveland;  Hambright,  Ebbert  Leroy; 
Hall,  Eleanor  Swan;  Hibben,  Elizabeth  Grier;  Hoke,  Earle; 
Hoke,  Ralph;  Hoke,  Walter  Bruce;  Hoopes,  Helen. 

Kennedy,  John  Stewart;  Kennedy,  Moorehead  Co  well; 
Kennedy,  Thomas  B.,  Jr.;  Kennedy,  Thomas  B.,  3d;  Ken- 
nedy, James  Coyle;  Kennedy,  Mary  Louise;  Kennedy,  Stew- 
art; Kennedy,  William  Moorhead;  Kennedy,  Frank  Ulrich. 

Langdon,  Claude  A.;  Lesher,  Frank  Brewer;  Lindsay, 
Frank;  Ludwig,  Ethyl. 

Maclay,  Charles  Templeton;  Maclay,  Joseph  Pomeroy; 
Maclay,  David  Crawford;  McDowell,  Jane;  McDowell,  John 
Clendenin;  McDowrell,  Milton  Grier;  McDowell,  George 
Davidson;  McGowan,  William  Chambers;  Mcllvaine,  John 
Stauffer,  3d;  McKnight,  Joseph;  McKnight,  Edgar  Senseny; 
McKnight,  Arthur  Leighton;  McKnight,  Mary  Jane; 
McLanahan,  Sydney  Smith. 

Nelson,  Annie;  Nelson,  Robert  Buchanan. 

Orr,  Nancy  Col  well. 

Platt,  George  Fisk,  Jr.;  Pomeroy,  William  McLellan; 
Pomeroy,  John  Nevin. 

Reed,  Elizabeth  Stickney,  Jr.;  Reed,  Mary  Lindsay;  Reed, 
John  Lindsay;  Ritchey,  Maurice;  Ritchey,  Frances  King; 
Riddle,  Edmund  Hunter;  Riddle,  Henry  Alexander,  Jr.; 
Riddle,  Robert  Forrest;  Ross,  Winnifred  Maria;  Ross,  Jen- 
nie Rebecca;  Ross,  Alice  Chambers. 

Schenck,  Elsie  Mercein;  Sharpe,  Walter  King;  Shumaker, 
Jacob  Nixon;  Shuman,  Elmer  Kennedy;  Smarsch,  John 
Albert. 

White,  Samuel  Eaton;  Wiestling,  Crawford  Washington; 
Wiestling,  Janet  Margaret;  Witherspoon,  Edith  Olivia; 
Witherspoon,  Samuel  Clapham;  Witherspoon,  Andrew  Car- 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.  19 1 

others;  Witherspoon,  Robert  Hamilton;  Witherspoon,  Mau- 
rice Marlow;  Witherspoon,  Andrew  Culbertson;  Wither- 
spoon, Laura  Alice;  Witherspoon,  David  Erskine;  Wither- 
spoon, Quinn  Mickey;  Witherspoon,  Agnew  Crawford; 
Witherspoon,  Lawrence  Austin;  Witherspoon,  Herbert 
Wayne. 

BAPTIZED   SINCE    NOV.     12,    1894. 

Hoke,  Henry  Reed,  Dec.  25,  1894. 
Mehaffey,  William  Chambers,  Jan.  24,  1895. 
Kennedy,  Francis  Atkinson,  Mch.  2,  1895. 
Britton,   Margaret,  Jan.  9,  1895. 
Wiestling,  Elizabeth,  May  28,  1895. 


CLOSING  WORDS, 

BY  THE  EDITOR. 


In  concluding  this  chapter  of  our  beloved  Church's  his- 
tory, it  would  be  ungrateful  not  to  remark  the  loving  care 
which  the  Lord  hath  vouchsafed  this  "vineyard  which  His 
right  hand  hath  planted,  and  the  branch  which  He  made 
strong  for  Himself."  (Ps.  80:15.)  As  we  behold  two  flour- 
ishing churches  occupying  the  same  Presbyterian  territory 
where  a  single  preacher  began  the  work  surrounded  by  a 
few  Christians  who  must  guard  themselves,  even  when  at 
worship,  against  painted  savages,  we  may  truly  say,  with 
Jacob,  "With  my  staff  I  passed  over  this  Jordan,  and  now  I 
am  become  two  bands!"  But  our  Church  structure  cannot 
create  or  continue  church-life.  It  can  only  house  it,  and 
form  a  center  of  influence.  "  It  is  a  gross  delusion,"  re- 
marks Guizot,  "to  believe  in  the  sovereign  power  of 
political  machinery."  And  the  same  is  true  of  ecclesias- 
tical machinery.  Men,  highminded,  devoted  in  heart,  hand 
and  purse  to"  the  service  of  Christ  and  the  help  of  those 
about  them,  and  "devout  women,  not  a  few,"  can  alone 
make  up  a  Church.  Let  the  children  be  the  glory  of  the 


192  THE   FALLING   SPRING 

fathers.     Let  us  prove  that  we  are  not  the  degenerate  suc- 
cessors of  godly  and  earnest  parents. 

"  We're  the  sons  of  sires  that  baffled 

Crowned  and  mitred  tyranny ; 
They  defied  the  fie!4  and  scaffold 
For  their  birthright;  so  wi)l  we." 

The  past  has  gone  before.  Let  it  be  like  the  stern-lights 
of  vessels  in  whose  wake  we  follow,  to  guide  us  to  noble 
purpose  and  practice.  Let  us  love  the  right  and  do  our 
duty.  The  world  delights  in  earnestness.  Its  rewards  go 
to  the  earnest.  In  this  God  and  the  world  are  agreed. 
When  we  are  filled  with  Christ,  our  Church  will  be  filled 
with  Christians.  A  strong  Church  is  one  in  which  every 
member  feels  the  power  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in  his  soul, 
and  daily  lives  that  power ;  in  which  every  member  under- 
stands that  Jesus  Christ  and  His  Church  unitedly  require 
active  service  from  the  Christian  Army.  Let  this  Church 
and  every  member  thereof  be  strong  in  spiritual  relations 
to  the  neighborhood  and  the  town.  Only  so  can  each  mem- 
ber stand  with  a  good  conscience  before  God.  Let  each  be 
a  divine  agent  in  helping  to  overcome  evil  and  establish 
good.  Our  responsibility, — the  greater  because  of  our  gifts 
and  privileges, — is  to  increase  the  sum  of  human  happiness 
by  decreasing  the  sum  of  human  misery. 

At  the  same  time,  let  .us  not  live  in  the  past.  The  battles 
of  to-day  cannot  be  fought  and  won  with  the  cross-bow  and 
battle-axe  of  Crusader  days.  We  cannot  live  even  upon  the 
faith  of  last  year.  Let  the  stalwart  faith  of  us  Christians 
of  to-day  win  battles  with  our  modern  weapons  which  shall 
match  those  won  by  our  fathers  who  conquered  these 
wildernesses  for  Christ.  Age  is  no  protection  against  error. 
Let  our  age  renew  its  youth,  resting  upon  the  historic  faith 
of  the  past,  and  facing  the  future  with  confidence  unchang- 
ing, in  the  Lord  and  Head  of  the  Church. 

"Is  Christ  in  us?     Be  ours  the  glorious  dower 

To  show  the  Saviour  shining  in  our  face, 
And  thro'  our  eyes,  faith,  putting  His  sweet  power 
To  help  the  weak  and  wayward  with  His  grace. 
Oh  let  not  sin  in  us  those  windows  dim 
Through  which  the  world  might  catch  some^glimpse  of  Him." 


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